What is Ready to Assign?
In a zero-based budget, the money you have that hasn't been given a job yet. The goal is to bring it to zero.
Ready to Assign is the money in a zero-based budget that’s waiting for a job. When income arrives, it lands here first. You then assign it to categories, like Rent, Groceries or Savings, until Ready to Assign reads zero.
What the number tells you
- Positive: you have money without a plan. Assign it, even if the job is “next month’s rent”.
- Zero: every dollar has a job. That’s the goal.
- Negative: you’ve assigned more than you have. Pull some back.
The name comes from YNAB, which popularized the idea. Other apps use names like “To be budgeted” or “Left to budget”.
In Kibble
Kibble shows Ready to Assign on the Budget screen. Short on time? Fill for me budgets the month from your last three months of spending. See Set up your first budget and Use Kibble AI.
Questions people ask
What does a negative Ready to Assign mean?
You've assigned more money than you have. Take some back from categories until it's zero or above.
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