Not quite. Many budgeting apps ask you to plan your spending in categories. artisticAutonomy works the other way around: every payment you log is sorted for you, with taxes and essentials first, then some to enjoy and some to grow, so you always know where you stand. It's the system I use myself as a working musician, now open to anyone with an income. I'm not a financial professional and this isn't financial advice, so for decisions about your own situation, talk to an accountant or financial advisor.

The moment a gig is logged, the government's portion is calculated and flagged for your high-interest savings account. It earns interest there until due — and stays separate so you are never tempted to spend it.

Your net income accumulates month by month. Only after it clears your baseline does the surplus unlock. This ensures your fixed costs are never at risk. To cover your baseline faster, consider growing your income — more gigs, higher-paying engagements, or a complementary income stream alongside your creative work. Many working musicians fund their art through parallel work that does not compromise it — it gives them the financial runway to do more of what they love.

The surplus divides between enjoy-life, your savings buckets, and investing. You set the percentages and can change them anytime in Settings. Important: even when you have debt payments, the app always preserves a portion for enjoy-life and investing. This is intentional — the discipline of moving something forward on every payment, however small, is the habit that builds financial health over time. Debt is addressed through surplus, never by eliminating saving and investing entirely.

Day-to-day spending flows through here. Keep only what you need for the current week. Everything else earns more interest elsewhere.

These serve different purposes. Your savings account is where your baseline sits between gigs — it feeds chequing as bills come in. Your set-aside account (a high-interest savings account, or the equivalent at your bank) is where your tax set-aside, savings bucket allocations, and enjoy-life allocation park after each gig — earning interest while they wait. On the 1st of each month, your enjoy-life allocation moves from the set-aside account back to savings, where it tops up chequing as you spend during the month. A high-interest set-aside account earns significantly more than a regular savings account — worth switching if you have not already.

Where the invest portion goes and stays. Important: opening the account is step one, but the money needs to actually be invested once it lands there — placed into an index fund, ETF, or other vehicle. An account sitting in cash is not investing. This is a two-step process that many people miss. What you invest in is your decision — do your own research and speak with a professional about what is right for your specific situation. This app does not give investment advice.

Annual goal ÷ annual freelance income = percentage per gig. If you earn roughly $30,000 as a freelancer and want to set aside $6,000 for a vacation, that is $6,000 ÷ $30,000 = 20%. Set your vacation bucket to 20% and each gig automatically moves 20% of its surplus toward that goal.

Annual income: $30,000. Vacation goal: $6,000 → 20%. TFSA contribution goal: $7,000 → 24%. Tax set-aside: 35% (covers income tax + pension contributions). After tax, vacation, and TFSA prep, roughly 50-55% of each surplus goes to investing or debt paydown — a healthy building-future percentage. Adjust to match your actual goals and local tax obligations. Your accountant can confirm the right tax rate for your situation.

These percentages apply only to your surplus — what is left after your monthly baseline is covered. If a gig does not clear the baseline gate, nothing splits yet. The full gig goes toward covering baseline first, and the splits open on the next gig that pushes you over.

Each gig's enjoy-life allocation parks in your set-aside account alongside the tax money — it earns interest while it waits. On the 1st of each month, move that amount back to your savings account. Then top up chequing from savings as you actually spend it during the month. The app shows your available spending money in the "Spending money this month" banner on the dashboard.

A high-interest savings account where your tax set-aside, savings buckets, and enjoy-life allocation park after each gig, earning interest while they wait. In Canada this is a HISA (High-Interest Savings Account); in the US, a HYSA (High-Yield Savings Account). If you are elsewhere, look for the equivalent at your bank: a high-yield savings account, notice account, or similar. The concept is the same everywhere: money earns interest while it waits, rather than sitting idle.

Your total fixed monthly costs — rent, utilities, groceries, insurance, everything that goes out every month regardless of whether you worked. This is the number your income is measured against. Once covered, the surplus unlocks.

The amount available to allocate toward savings and investing — but only after the baseline is fully covered for the month. The gate protects your fixed costs before anything else moves.

Tax collected from clients on behalf of the government, added on top of your fee. In Canada this is HST or GST. In Europe it is VAT. In Latin America, IVA. In Australia, GST. The concept and the app's handling of it are identical regardless of what your country calls it. Only applies if you are registered to collect it — check your local threshold.

Fees paid to a professional association or union calculated as a percentage of your scale fee. In Canada this commonly applies to AFM (musicians' union) members. Outside Canada your equivalent might be the Musicians' Union (UK), ISMA, or another body. If you do not belong to a union or association, turn this off — it will not affect your calculations.

A deliberate percentage of your surplus set aside for guilt-free spending. It parks in your set-aside account while it waits, then moves back to savings on the 1st of each month — ready to top up chequing as you actually spend it. Intentional enjoyment is part of a sustainable financial plan.

The percentage of your net income over the last 90 days that went toward savings buckets or investing. Higher means more of your earnings are working for your future rather than passing through.

Last month's enjoy-life allocations, released on the 1st of this month as your spending ceiling. The app does not track what you spend it on — that is intentional. Any unspent amount either carries forward or resets, depending on your setting.

Money you borrowed from your own surplus — not from a creditor, but from your future savings or investing. Tracked separately because the obligation is to yourself, not a lender. Log it when you redirect surplus for an immediate need, and pay it back through future gigs when the situation allows.

The percentage you hold back from every gig to cover your income tax bill and pension contributions at year end. Your accountant can confirm the right number for your situation. If unsure: 32% is a reasonable starting point for most Canadian freelancers; 35% is safer if you want to avoid a surprise; outside Canada, research your self-employment tax rate — it is almost always higher than employees pay.