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Budgeting without a bank connection

You can budget without connecting a bank account: download your transactions as a CSV file, import them into a budgeting app, and review your spending by category. Imago is a personal budgeting app that uses this approach. Your financial data stays in your browser on your device, and Imago never asks for your bank login. It costs $49 USD once after a free 7-day trial.

By Rachel Gibb, Imago developer · Last updated: 2026-10-07. Bank instructions checked October 7, 2026 against the official help pages linked below; these are documented steps, not tests inside customers’ bank accounts.

Is budgeting without bank sync right for you?

CSV budgeting gives you control over when transactions enter your budget and avoids giving a budgeting service access to your bank account. The trade-off is a manual download and import. Your balance is only as current as your latest import; this is a good fit if you prefer a weekly review over a live feed.

Imago works offline after it has loaded, but downloading a new file from your bank requires an internet connection. It does not automatically sync between devices. You can move your data with a JSON backup. If automatic feeds or shared household sync are essential, compare other budgeting apps before choosing.

How do you export a bank CSV?

Use your bank’s own website or app to download transaction data in CSV format. A PDF statement is a different file and cannot be imported directly into Imago. These examples cover providers with publicly documented CSV exports. Menus and availability can vary by country, account and app version; follow the linked provider instructions if yours differs.

Tangerine (Canada)

1. Sign in at tangerine.ca in a browser; Tangerine says this download is not available in its mobile banking app.
2. Open Transactions and select Download Transactions.
3. Follow the prompts and choose Excel CSV rather than QFX or Microsoft Money.

Source: Tangerine’s transaction download instructions. The separate Statements option downloads PDFs.

Monzo (UK personal account)

1. Open Home in the Monzo app and tap the three dots beneath your card.
2. Choose Bank statements, then select your date range.
3. Choose CSV and save the file where you can select it from Imago.

Source: Monzo’s statement instructions. Use Bank statements rather than assuming a filtered transaction search can be exported.

Wise currency accounts

1. On Wise, select your initials and open Statements and reports, then Statements.
2. Choose Create a statement and select the currency or jar, dates and CSV format.
3. Confirm with your Wise password when prompted, then download. Make a separate Imago account for each currency you import.

Source: Wise’s statement instructions. Each statement can cover up to 365 days. Currency-account statements do not cover every transfer funded through an external payment method.

What if your bank is not listed?

Look for Download transactions or Export on the account activity screen in desktop online banking. Confirm that the format is CSV and that it contains dates, descriptions and amounts. If you only see PDFs, ask the bank whether it offers transaction downloads; a PDF-only account has no direct CSV import path in Imago. We have not verified every bank’s export menus or tested every bank file.

How do you import a bank CSV into Imago?

Create an account in Imago, choose Import CSV on Transactions, map the file’s columns, and review the preview before confirming. Column mapping lets you work with different bank layouts; it is not a guarantee that every export will import without adjustment. Try a small date range during the free trial.

1. Install Imago first if you want to use a Home Screen app on iPhone or iPad. Its storage is separate from a Safari tab.
2. Create the account with the correct currency. Set the opening balance to the closing balance on the day before your first imported transaction.
3. Choose Import CSV on Transactions and select the account and file.
4. Map date, description and amount. Select the matching convention: signed amounts, positive spending, or separate debit and credit columns.
5. Check dates, income, spending and duplicate counts in the preview. Import when those match your bank activity.
6. Categorize transactions, mark transfers between your own accounts, and compare the resulting account balance with your bank.

The transaction guide explains categorization and rules. Importing a CSV is not a bank connection: the file is processed in the app on your device.

What if dates, balances or duplicates look wrong?

• Dates are reversed: check whether your file uses day/month or month/day and set the import’s date format.
• Spending looks like income: check the amount convention. Credit card files often use positive values for purchases.
• The balance is off by a fixed amount: check the opening balance and whether the export includes the full period.
• Dates overlap: Imago uses transaction fingerprints to skip matching rows. Changed dates, descriptions or amounts may no longer match, so review the preview rather than assuming every repeat file is identical.
• The file cannot be read: confirm it is a CSV rather than a renamed PDF or spreadsheet. Keep the original file when making adjustments.

For help, email support@imago.money with the error and column headings. Do not email your banking password or an unredacted transaction history.

How do you keep a CSV budget up to date?

Pick a regular review day. Download the next period of transactions, import and categorize them, reconcile the account balance, then export a JSON backup from Settings → Data & backup. The app cannot recover your data if browser storage is cleared and you have no backup.

Keep bank files and backups somewhere private. A folder synced to a cloud service follows that service’s privacy rules; Imago does not upload the files for you.

Try Imago free for 7 days before buying. $49 USD once, no subscription. All sales are final; use the trial to check your bank file and workflow.