Every part of your budget in Planpage is built around two core numbers: Estimate and Actual.
Estimate vs. Actual
Estimate represents what you expect to spend.
In most cases, the Estimate field is a simple number you can type directly into. This makes it easy to quickly sketch out a budget, adjust projections, and explore different scenarios as plans evolve.
The Actual field works differently, by design.
You don’t type directly into Actuals
You’ll notice that you can’t type a number directly into the Actual field. Instead, Actuals are driven by real activity, such as:
Adding a Vendor Invoice
Recording a Direct Expense
Planpage uses these to calculate the Actual amount automatically. This may feel different at first, but it’s intentional, and it comes with some important benefits...
Why this approach is better
1. Actuals stay tied to real money
Instead of being a free-form number, Actuals are backed by invoices and expenses. That means every dollar shown has a reason behind it.
2. Fewer mistakes and mismatches
Manually typing Actuals makes it easy for numbers to drift out of sync with payments, invoices, or receipts. By driving Actuals from real entries, Planpage keeps everything aligned automatically.
3. Built-in transparency
You can always see where an Actual number came from. If something looks off, you can drill into the invoices or expenses that make it up.
4. Better reporting and payment tracking
Because Actuals are connected to payments and due dates, Planpage can help you track what’s been paid, what’s outstanding, and how spending compares to estimates in real time.
Ways to add entries to Actuals
There are three ways to add real spend to a budget item in Planpage. Each one is designed for a slightly different situation.
Vendor Invoice
Use a Vendor Invoice when the spend is tied to a specific vendor.
Vendor Invoices let you track amounts owed, split costs into multiple payments, and manage payment due dates over time. They’re ideal for vendors like venues, photographers, florists, and rentals.
Direct Expense
Use a Direct Expense for spend that should be reflected in the budget, but isn’t tied to a formal vendor relationship.
This is perfect for things like Etsy purchases, supplies, gratuities, shipping costs, or one-off charges where there’s no invoice to manage.
Your Invoice
If you invoice your client through Planpage, you can add your own company to the budget and link a real Planpage invoice directly to it.
This allows your fees to appear in the budget and automatically flow into Actuals as invoices are issued and paid, keeping everything in sync without duplicate entry.
Which one should I use?
Use this as a quick rule of thumb when deciding how to add Actuals to a budget item:
Use a Vendor Invoice if:
The cost is tied to a specific vendor
There are payment due dates, deposits, or installments to track
You want visibility into what’s paid vs. outstanding
Examples: venue, photographer, florist, rentals
Use a Direct Expense if:
The spend isn’t tied to a vendor relationship
It’s a one-off or informal purchase
You just want the cost reflected in the budget
Examples: Etsy purchases, supplies, gratuities, shipping, small reimbursements
Use Your Invoice if:
The cost represents your own services or fees
You invoice the client through Planpage
You want your invoices to automatically drive Actuals in the budget
Examples: planning fees, coordination packages, add-on services