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Project Budgets & Expenses

Premium Feature

This feature is available on the Premium and Pro plans. Compare plans →

Whether you're building a simple room box or a grand six-story mansion, dollhouse expenses can add up quickly. Project Budgets help you keep track of every dollar spent and every receipt saved.

1. Setting up a budget​

When you create a project, the default budget is $0. To start tracking costs against a goal:

  1. Open a Project and click the Supplies & Expenses tab.
  2. Near the top, locate the "Total Budget" field.
  3. Click the pencil icon or Set Budget to enter a target number.
  4. Click Save.
  5. As you add expenses, a progress bar will show how close you are to your budget limit!

2. Budget allocations by category​

You can split your main budget into specific categories to ensure you don't overspend on lighting when you still need to buy wallpaper!

  1. Below your total budget, click Add Allocation.
  2. Select a category from the dropdown (e.g., Furniture, Structure, Lighting).
  3. Enter a dollar amount.
  4. Click Save Allocation.
  5. When you log expenses, simply assign them to these categories to track costs automatically.

3. Adding expenses​

Did you just buy lumber from the hardware store, or order miniature hinges online? Add it as an expense to immediately log the cost!

  1. Open a Project and click the Supplies & Expenses tab.
  2. Click Log Expense.
  3. Fill in the required fields: the Name of the item/purchase, the Cost, and the Date.
  4. (Optional) Select a category to deduct it from a specific budget allocation.
  5. Click Add Expense.

4. Uploading receipts​

Never lose an invoice again. You can attach photos or PDFs of your receipts directly to an expense entry.

  1. When logging or editing an expense, scroll to the Receipts section.
  2. Click Upload file or simply drag the file directly onto the upload area.
  3. Once uploaded, the receipt is permanently securely stored alongside the expense.

5. Room cost breakdown​

Mini Vault automatically calculates how much each room is costing you!

  1. When logging an expense, you can optionally assign it to a specific room using the "Room" dropdown.
  2. To see the breakdown, click the Summary tab on the Project page.
  3. A chart will appear displaying total costs split by room, helping you see where your money is going.

6. Supply costs in projects​

If you are using the Supply Tracking module to manage your inventory of wood, glue, and paint, you don't need to log duplicate expenses in a project!

  1. Click Link Existing Supply from the project menu.
  2. Select the supply (e.g., "Stripwood 1/4 inch") and how much you used.
  3. Mini Vault will automatically calculate the unit cost of that supply and add it to your project's total expenses.

7. Budget templates​

Pro Feature

This feature is available on the Pro plan.

If you build dollhouses professionally, you can use templates to instantly load a standardized budget allocation (e.g., 30% structure, 20% lighting, 50% furniture) every time you start a new build.

  1. Create a new project.
  2. Choose Apply Budget Template during creation.
  3. Select your custom template from the list.

8. Project wishlist​

Sometimes you see the perfect miniature, but maybe your budget doesn't allow for it right now.

  1. On the Project page, open the Wishlist tab.
  2. Click Add Wishlist Item.
  3. Paste a link to the store page or write a description.
  4. Enter the estimated cost.
  5. These costs are displayed separately from your actual budget so you can plan ahead!

9. Exporting budget data​

When it's time for tax season or a professional commission invoice, you can export your entire project budget.

  1. Open the Supplies & Expenses tab.
  2. Click the Export CSV icon near the top right.
  3. A comprehensive spreadsheet containing all expenses, categories, dates, and connected rooms will download instantly.