Custom Pouches

Quick Take

• Custom pouches hold money for specific purposes
• They help you separate important priorities from everyday spending
• You can create them anytime
• They can be added from the Income Splitter River or the Pouch Balances screens

Use custom pouches when you want a place for something that does not fit the default pouches.

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What Custom Pouches Are

Custom pouches are user-created pouches that hold money for a specific purpose.

Roo includes several built-in pouches, like Living, Bills, Savings, and Payback. These cover the most common types of money in your budget.

Sometimes you may want a place for something more specific.

For example:

• Travel
• Home maintenance
• Car replacement
• Medical expenses
• A large upcoming purchase

Custom pouches let you create that place.

They simply give a name and a container to money you want to keep separate.

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Why Custom Pouches Exist In Roo

Most spending works best when it stays simple.

That is why Roo groups everyday purchases in the Living Pouch instead of dozens of categories.

But some priorities are different.

Custom expenses might be:

• Larger than typical expense
• Happen less often
• Need intentional saving over time

Custom pouches give those priorities their own space without adding complexity to everyday spending.

They help you protect money for things that matter.

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How To Add A Custom Pouch

There are two screens that allow you to add a custom pouch: the Pouch Balances screen and the Income Splitter screen. You access both of them by clicking on the Budget tab.

Add From Pouch Balances Screen

1. Open the Budget tab. You will immediately see the Pouch Balances screen.
2. Tap the Add button
   1. When you tap Add, Roo shows three options:
      1. Move Pouch to Folder
      2. New Folder
      3. New Pouch
3. Select New Pouch
4. Enter a name for the pouch
5. Choose an icon
6. Tap Save

The pouch will now appear on the Pouch Balances screen inside the Budget tab with your other pouches but will not automatically appear on the Income Splitter River screen.

If you want it to automatically send funds to the pouch with the Income Splitter River you will need to add it to the river as well.

Add From Income Splitter River Screen

1. Open the Budget tab.
2. Click on the Income Splitter button.
3. Tap the (+) icon next to one of the sections of the river.
4. Select an existing pouch, or tap Add to create a new pouch.
5. Enter the amount you want the pouch to receive each month.
6. Tap Save.

Pouches you add to the Income Splitter River appear on the Pouch Balances screen, inside the Budget tab. The next time income arrives, the river sends money to them according to your income splitting plan — or you can allocate to pouches manually from that same screen anytime.

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Example: Roo Travel Pouch

I recently took a fun vacation that I had saved for using a custom pouch.

I created a Travel pouch on the Pouch Balances screen. At first, I manually transferred some money to it from one of my other pouches. That helped me get started, but it was only a one-time transfer. I knew I needed to start saving regularly if I wanted to have enough for the trip.

So I opened my Income Splitter River screen and added the Travel pouch to the Goals/Other section of the river. That way, a small portion of my income would automatically flow into the pouch each time I was paid.

After that, I watched my travel fund grow a little bit with every paycheck.

As the trip got closer, I decided to speed up my savings. I added the Travel pouch to the Overflow section of the Income Splitter River so it could also receive any leftover funds.

The Travel pouch quietly grew over time. Because the money had a clear purpose, I knew not to spend it. Seeing the balance helped me prioritize my spending, and I enjoyed sending little bits of extra money I found to help it grow.

When the trip finally arrived, my vacation was awesome. It felt even more relaxing because I had already saved the money before I left.

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FAQs

Does creating a pouch automatically send money to it?

No. A new pouch is just an empty place to hold money, especially if you make it in the Pouch Balances screen.

To have money go in automatically, create it directly on the Income Splitter River, or add an existing pouch to the river.

Once it’s on the river, Roo sends money to it based on your Income Splitter plan.

See also: Custom Pouches

What happens if I create the pouch from the River?

When you create a pouch directly on the Income Splitter River, it is automatically included in your Income Splitter plan.

That means it will begin receiving funds when income arrives. The pouch will also appear in the Budget tab on your Pouch Balances screen with your other pouches.

See also: Custom Pouches

Can I move money into a pouch manually?

Yes. You can transfer money between pouches at any time on the Pouch Balances screen in the Budget Tab.

There are two ways to do this:

1. Use the Transfer button at the top of the Pouch Balances screen
2. Click and drag the fund-giving pouch to the fund-receiving pouch

Manual transfers are useful when you want to add extra money to a pouch or adjust your priorities. Your Income Splitter River handles automatic funding, while transfers let you make one-time adjustments.

See also: Custom Pouches

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Common Mistakes

Creating Too Many Custom Pouches

It can be tempting to create a pouch for every type of purchase. But Roo works best when everyday spending stays simple. If something is part of normal daily life, it usually belongs in Living, not a custom pouch. Custom pouches work best for larger or intentional priorities, not routine spending.

Creating a Pouch but Not Adding It to the River

Sometimes people create a pouch on the Pouch Balances screen and expect it to start receiving money automatically.

But pouches created on the Pouch Balances screen are not connected to the Income Splitter River yet.

This means the pouch exists, but nothing is sending money to it.

If you want the pouch to receive funds automatically when income arrives, open your Income Splitter River screen and add the pouch to the river.

Once it is part of the river, Roo will begin sending money to it based on your income splitting plan.

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A Simple Way To Think About It

• Living handles everyday spending
• Bills handles scheduled payments
• Custom Pouches hold intentional priorities

Custom pouches give important money its own place without making daily life complicated.