Categories and rules
Sort a merchant once and have it sorted next time, and what happens to history when you retire a category.
Categories are the ledger’s vocabulary — a name for where the money actually went. “Know well the state of your flocks, and pay attention to your herds.” (Proverbs 27:23, WEB). Change a transaction’s category from the register. When you do, you’re offered a rule — sort this merchant this way from now on. The next charge from them arrives already sorted.
Rules apply as transactions come in, so they act on your next sync rather than rewriting your history. Fix the past by changing categories directly; the rule handles the future.
Making the list yours
Settings → Categories. Rename them, nest them, give them an icon. Use the words you actually think in — the app came with a starting set, not a prescription.
Retiring one is safe
If a category has served its purpose, retire it with a clear conscience — a list that changes is a list that’s being used. Everything that used to land there is forwarded to whatever you retire it into, so a year of history does not become orphaned or uncategorized. Cleaning up your list is not destructive.
One receipt that was three things
Don’t force it into one category — split it. See Splitting a transaction. An honest ledger records what actually happened, even when it happened three ways at once.
Did this miss the point? Email info@lampandledger.com — knowing which article failed you is the most useful thing you can send.