Getting Started with SavePoint

We have a video walkthrough that covers the full installation and activation process from start to finish, including downloading the installer, running the setup, handling any security prompts, activating your license, and getting into SavePoint for the first time. If you prefer to follow along visually, this is a great place to start.

Watch: SavePoint Tutorial — How to Activate Your License

1. Download the Installer

   Download the SavePoint installer (.exe) from the Software Downloads page. The installer is approximately 1GB and includes everything needed to run the application. You will need to be logged into the SavePoint website to access the download.

   Microsoft Edge: Download Blocked

   If you are using Microsoft Edge as your web browser, you may see a warning that says "SavePoint isn't commonly downloaded. Make sure you trust it before you open it." The downloaded file may appear grayed out or unclickable. To fix this:

   • In the Edge Downloads panel (top right of the browser), click the three-dot menu (...) next to the download
   • Click "Keep" from the menu that appears
   • A second prompt will ask you to confirm. Click "Keep anyway" to save the file

   Alternative: If the steps above do not work, you can temporarily disable SmartScreen for Edge:

   1. Open Windows Security (search for it in the Start menu)
   2. Click "App & browser control" in the left sidebar
   3. Under "Reputation-based protection," find "SmartScreen for Microsoft Edge" and toggle it Off
   4. Download and install SavePoint
   5. Important: Turn SmartScreen back On after you finish installing

   This warning appears because SavePoint is a desktop application distributed outside of the Microsoft Store. The application is safe to download and install.

2. Run the Installer

   Double-click the downloaded installer file to begin the installation process.

   Windows Defender SmartScreen

   When you run the installer for the first time, Windows may display a blue "Windows protected your PC" dialog from Microsoft Defender SmartScreen. This is standard behavior for desktop applications distributed outside of the Microsoft Store. To proceed:

   • Click "More info" on the SmartScreen dialog. This reveals additional details about the file and the option to continue
   • Click "Run anyway" to proceed with the installation

   This dialog appears for desktop applications distributed outside of the Microsoft Store. The application is safe to run.

3. Follow the Setup Wizard

   The installer will guide you through the setup process. SavePoint will install to your default Programs directory and create a desktop shortcut. Follow the on-screen prompts to complete the installation.

4. Antivirus Considerations

   Some antivirus programs (such as Norton, McAfee, Bitdefender, or Avast) may flag SavePoint during or after installation. This can happen with desktop applications distributed outside of platform app stores. If your antivirus blocks or quarantines SavePoint:

   • Check your antivirus notifications for any alerts about SavePoint being blocked or quarantined
   • Restore the file if it was quarantined (usually found in your antivirus's quarantine or history section)
   • Add SavePoint to your antivirus whitelist or exclusion list so it is not flagged again. The typical path to exclude is C:\Users\[YourUsername]\AppData\Local\Programs\SavePoint\
   • You may also need to whitelist the installer file itself if your antivirus prevents it from running in the first place

   SavePoint runs entirely offline and does not download files from the internet or execute external code, so the security risk of whitelisting it is minimal.

5. First Launch & License Activation

   Launch SavePoint from the desktop shortcut or Start menu. Upon starting the program, a license validation window will pop up. In the top right of the license window, you will see your unique hardware ID. Copy this ID and navigate to the SavePoint license redemption page and enter your Hardware ID. You will then receive your activation code, which you can then enter into SavePoint to activate the program. This process is also covered in our video tutorial.

6. New Beginnings with SavePoint

   Create your account if you did not already do so, and proceed to the setup wizard to create your first budget and begin your financial journey with SavePoint.

1. Download the Installer

   Download the SavePoint disk image (.dmg) from the Software Downloads page. You will need to be logged into the SavePoint website to access the download.

2. Open the Disk Image

   Double-click the downloaded SavePoint.dmg file. A new Finder window will open showing the SavePoint application icon and a shortcut to your Applications folder.

3. Install the Application

   Drag the SavePoint icon into the Applications folder shortcut shown in the window. This copies SavePoint to your Applications folder where it will be permanently installed.

4. Eject the Disk Image

   Close the installer window, then right-click the SavePoint disk image icon on your desktop or sidebar and click Eject. You can also delete the downloaded .dmg file from your Downloads folder at this point as it is no longer needed.

5. Clear macOS Gatekeeper Quarantine

   macOS Gatekeeper may prevent SavePoint from opening the first time since it was downloaded outside of the Mac App Store. This is standard behavior for applications not distributed through the Mac App Store. To resolve this, you need to clear the quarantine attribute using Terminal:

   1. Open Finder → Applications → Utilities → Terminal
   2. Copy and paste the following command exactly, then press Enter:
      xattr -cr /Applications/SavePoint.app
   3. Close Terminal

   This command removes the quarantine flag that macOS places on applications downloaded from the internet. It only needs to be done once, and SavePoint will open normally from this point forward.

6. Launch SavePoint

   Open your Applications folder and double-click SavePoint. The application should open normally. If macOS still asks you to confirm that you want to open the application, click Open to proceed.

7. License Activation

   Upon starting the program, a license validation window will pop up. In the top right of the license window, you will see your unique hardware ID. Copy this ID and navigate to the SavePoint license redemption page and enter your Hardware ID. You will then receive your activation code, which you can then enter into SavePoint to activate the program. This process is also covered in our video tutorial.

8. New Beginnings with SavePoint

   Create your account if you did not already do so, and proceed to the setup wizard to create your first budget and begin your financial journey with SavePoint.

1. Welcome & Orientation
   First Launch → Welcome Screen

   The wizard welcomes you and provides an overview of the setup process:

   • Overview of SavePoint's capabilities and setup process
   • Expected setup time (10-15 minutes for complete budget setup)
   • Progress indicator showing all 6 setup steps
2. Budget Period Configuration
   Setup Wizard → Step 2

   Define your budget's fiscal year and optional name:

   • Fiscal Year: Enter a 4-digit year (e.g., 2025) for your budget. Only one budget can exist per fiscal year
   • Budget Name (Optional): Give your budget a custom name like "Annual Budget 2025" or leave blank

   Note: Your budget will be broken down into monthly amounts for easier tracking, with annual totals calculated automatically.

3. Income Sources
   Setup Wizard → Step 3

   Set up your monthly income sources using the default income categories or add custom ones:

   • Default Categories: Your existing income categories are pre-loaded and ready to use
   • Monthly Amount: Enter your monthly income for each source (e.g., salary, freelance, investments)
   • Annual Amount: Automatically calculated by multiplying monthly amount by 12
   • Custom Categories: Click "Add Custom" to create your own income categories with custom emojis
   • Category Management: Remove categories you don't need or change emojis by clicking on them
4. Spending Goals
   Setup Wizard → Step 4

   Customize your spending allocation using the 50/30/20 rule as a starting point:

   • Needs (Default 50%): Essential expenses like housing, food, utilities, insurance, minimum debt payments
   • Wants (Default 30%): Discretionary spending like entertainment, dining out, hobbies, shopping
   • Savings & Debt (Default 20%): Emergency fund, retirement, investments, extra debt payments
   • Customization: Use sliders or +/- buttons to adjust percentages to match your financial priorities
   • Flexibility: Adjust percentages freely - the 50/30/20 rule is just a guideline, not a requirement
5. Expense Categories & Budget
   Setup Wizard → Step 5

   Set monthly budgets for your expense categories:

   • Default Categories: Your existing expense categories are pre-loaded
   • Sub Category 1: Classify each expense as "Needs" or "Discretionary" to align with your spending goals
   • Sub Category 2: Add secondary classification tags (e.g., "Housing", "Food", "Entertainment")
   • Monthly Budget: Enter the monthly budget amount for each category
   • Annual Amount: Automatically calculated by multiplying monthly budget by 12
   • Custom Categories: Click "Add Custom" to create additional expense categories as needed
6. Household Setup
   Setup Wizard → Step 6

   Tell SavePoint how you want to track finances. Pick one of three options:

   • Just me (or one shared household ledger): Solo mode. SavePoint hides household-specific controls and tracks everything as a single ledger. Choose this if you are tracking your own finances or if you and a partner manage everything jointly without per-person attribution.
   • Multiple people, shared finances (Simple): SavePoint adds member-aware filters and Owner attribution but does not force splits on every transaction. You can assign an account or transaction to a member without committing to detailed splits.
   • Multiple people, detailed splits (Advanced): Unlocks split-aware transactions and per-member budget attributions. Best when you need to answer "what percent of joint expenses did each of us cover?" or "how much did each member contribute to the emergency fund?"

   In Simple or Advanced mode, the wizard asks for an optional household name (e.g., "The Smiths"), a list of members with name, short name, color, and emoji, and a default contribution rule (Equal split, Proportional to income, or Custom percentages). For full details on what each mode unlocks and how to edit these settings later, see Household & Members.

7. Review & Save
   Setup Wizard → Step 7

   Review your complete budget setup before saving:

   • Budget Summary: See your fiscal year, budget name, and spending goal percentages
   • Income Review: View all income sources with monthly and annual totals
   • Expense Review: See all expense categories categorized by Needs and Wants
   • Spending Goals Analysis: Compare your actual budget allocation against target percentages with color-coded indicators
   • Household Summary Card: Confirms your household mode and (in Simple or Advanced mode) the members you added with their colors and emojis
   • Hide $0.00 Toggle: Option to hide categories with no amounts for cleaner review
   • Navigation: Go back to previous steps to make adjustments or click "Complete Setup" to finish

   The Setup Complete confirmation includes a household line so you can confirm at a glance how SavePoint will treat your finances: "Household: tracking as one ledger (Solo)" or "Household: N members ({mode}, {rule})".

1. Create Your First Accounts
   Accounts → Add Account
   • Add checking account with current balance
   • Add savings accounts for goals
   • Add credit cards with current balances
   • Set up investment accounts if applicable
2. Import Recent Transactions
   Transactions → Import
   • Import last 3 months of transactions for pattern analysis
   • Use CSV or Excel import from bank statements (.csv, .xlsx, .xls supported)
   • If your file has extra rows above the headers, use the Header Row selector in Column Mapping to pick the correct row
   • Map merchants to categories during import
   • Review and categorize imported transactions
3. Import Account Balances
   Balance Sheet → Import Balances
   • Import historical account balances to populate your Balance Sheet
   • Use CSV or Excel import for multiple accounts and time periods (.csv, .xlsx, .xls supported)
   • If your file's headers aren't on the first row, use the Header Row selector in Column Mapping to choose the correct row. There is no need to edit the file beforehand
   • Track net worth progression over time with historical data
   • Visualize asset and liability trends in the Balance Sheet charts
4. Set Up Your First Goal
   Goals → Create Goal
   • Start with an emergency fund goal (recommended)
   • Set realistic target amount and timeline
   • Configure automatic allocation rules
   • Link goal to specific savings account
5. Customize Dashboard
   Dashboard → Settings (top of dashboard) → Dashboard Settings dropdown
   • Arrange modules for your workflow
   • Hide modules you don't need initially
   • Set refresh intervals for real-time data
   • Configure dashboard as your home screen

1. Main Navigation Sidebar

   Located on the left side of the screen, this provides access to all major features:

   • Dashboard - Financial overview and key metrics
   • Accounts - Account management and details
   • Transactions - Transaction entry and history
   • Budgets - Budget creation and tracking
   • Cashflow - Budget versus actual spending analysis
   • Balance Sheet - Net worth and asset tracking
   • Goals - Savings and financial goals
   • FIRE - Financial independence planning
   • Yearly Trends - Year-over-year financial performance
   • Reports - Analytics and detailed reports
   • Settings - Application preferences and configuration
2. Main Content Area

   The center area displays the active page content, forms, tables, and charts based on your current selection.

3. Action Buttons

   Context-sensitive buttons appear based on your current page:

   • Add New Transaction
   • Create New Account
   • Export Data
   • Generate Report