Actual Budget
Actual Budget: a first setup, important settings, verification, and recovery considerations.
Working directory: ~/homelab/apps/finance. Follow the common setup workflow first. This is a setup note based on the linked documentation, not a copy of my live configuration or a runtime verification of this full stack.
Start here
Start this category with Actual Budget alone, using the official Docker example. Create a fictional budget before importing personal financial records. More services, such as Firefly III and importers, are separate choices with their own databases and recovery requirements, not prerequisites for Actual.
Settings and data
Persist the server's /data directory. Bind its UI to loopback for initial setup and use the documented HTTPS requirements when enabling normal browser access. Choose a strong server password. If you enable budget encryption, keep the encryption password separately recoverable; do not confuse it with the server login.
Check it
Create a test account and transaction, export the budget using the application, then import it into a separate test budget. Restart the server and verify synchronization from a second browser session. Keep real bank integrations disconnected until these checks work.
When something fails
If synchronization fails, compare client/server versions and inspect browser and server errors. Browser storage is not a substitute for a recoverable server backup. Preserve both application exports and the documented server data backup; protect them as financial records.