Frequently asked questions
About Porul
Section titled “About Porul”What is Porul?
Section titled “What is Porul?”A private money diary for iPhone and Android. You log your expenses, and Porul shows your Daily Life Cost, your Need / Want / Oops pattern, a Ready to plan budget, loan calculations and goal projections. See Why Porul.
What does “Porul” mean?
Section titled “What does “Porul” mean?”It is a Tamil word (பொருள்) meaning both wealth and meaning.
Is Porul financial advice?
Section titled “Is Porul financial advice?”No. Porul is a calculator. It shows numbers based on what you enter, and it never recommends what you should do. For advice about your situation, talk to a qualified professional.
Do I need to know Tamil, or live in India?
Section titled “Do I need to know Tamil, or live in India?”No. Porul works for anyone, in any currency. The Thirukkural quote on the home screen is a small cultural touch, not a requirement.
Privacy and data
Section titled “Privacy and data”Do I have to connect my bank account?
Section titled “Do I have to connect my bank account?”No. You log entries yourself. Porul never asks for bank details.
Where is my data stored?
Section titled “Where is my data stored?”On your phone. Porul has no server that holds your finances. See Backup and privacy.
Does Porul work offline?
Section titled “Does Porul work offline?”Yes. Logging, budgeting, loans and goals all work without a connection. You need the internet only for optional backups and for subscription checks with the App Store or Google Play.
Does it show ads or track me?
Section titled “Does it show ads or track me?”No ads. For the full policy, see the Privacy Policy.
How do I back up my data?
Section titled “How do I back up my data?”In Settings, Backup & Sync, choose Google Drive, iCloud (iPhone) or a local folder. Backups then run automatically after any change (including goals, plans and settings). To back up right now, tap Back Up Now on the same page.
Can I use Porul on two devices at once?
Section titled “Can I use Porul on two devices at once?”Porul doesn’t sync live between devices. You can move your data to a new phone by restoring a backup. See Backup and privacy.
Can I export my data?
Section titled “Can I export my data?”Yes. Export any filtered view of your transactions as CSV or PDF from the Transactions screen.
How do I delete my data?
Section titled “How do I delete my data?”Your data is on your device, so deleting the app removes it. Backups stored in your own Drive, iCloud or folder are yours to delete there.
Using Porul
Section titled “Using Porul”What are Need, Want and Oops?
Section titled “What are Need, Want and Oops?”Three tags you choose for each expense: Need (essential), Want (chosen) and Oops (unplanned or regretted). They are your own judgement, and Porul never changes them. See Kakeibo.
What is Kakeibo?
Section titled “What is Kakeibo?”A Japanese household-ledger method (家計簿) that focuses on reflecting on your expenses, not just recording them.
What is “Ready to plan”?
Section titled “What is “Ready to plan”?”Your income minus your fixed bills, less what you have already given a job (Everyday Budget, loan prepayments, goal contributions). It goes down only when you actually pay, repay a loan or save towards a goal, and planned amounts are just guides.
What is “Free each month” on the Loans tab?
Section titled “What is “Free each month” on the Loans tab?”Your usual monthly income minus your fixed bills (quarterly and yearly bills spread over the year), any EMIs not added to the Budget, and your Everyday Budget. It is what is spare every month, so you can see the room for a new EMI or a prepayment. One-off money such as carry-over is left out. See Budget.
What is Daily Life Cost?
Section titled “What is Daily Life Cost?”What one day of your life costs you: every expense you logged in the last year, including bills you marked as paid, divided by the days in the year. See Daily Life Cost.
Can I use my own currency and number format?
Section titled “Can I use my own currency and number format?”Yes. On first launch Porul picks the currency and number format of your phone’s region. To change them, go to Settings, Financial Preferences: Currency opens a searchable list of every currency in circulation (search by name, code or symbol), and Format offers International (1,000,000.00), Indian (10,00,000.00), European (1.000.000,00) or Space separated (1 000 000,00). Amounts use as many decimals as your currency has: none for the yen, three for the Kuwaiti dinar, two for most others.
What is the Cash Book?
Section titled “What is the Cash Book?”A separate book inside Porul for money you want to keep apart from your daily expenses: a shop, a wedding, a trip. Each book has its own money in and money out. See Cash Book.
Does the Cash Book change my Daily Life Cost or budget?
Section titled “Does the Cash Book change my Daily Life Cost or budget?”No. A book never touches your Daily Life Cost, budget, goals or loans. Money only moves into your main account if you choose Push to main.
Can I undo a Push to main?
Section titled “Can I undo a Push to main?”A pushed entry is final in the book: it shows a lock and cannot be changed, deleted or pushed again, even if you delete the copy in your main account. If a pushed entry was wrong, add a new entry for the difference.
Can I delete a Cash Book entry?
Section titled “Can I delete a Cash Book entry?”Yes, until it is pushed. Swipe left (or tap the grip) and use the five-second Undo if you slip.
Can I delete a whole book?
Section titled “Can I delete a whole book?”Yes, from All books in the book menu. Porul asks first, because this also deletes the book’s entries and cannot be undone. Anything you already pushed to your main account stays there. If you only want to put a book away, close it instead: it stays as a record and can be reopened.
How many Cash Books can I have?
Section titled “How many Cash Books can I have?”The free version keeps one book, open or closed. Porul Premium lets you create as many as you need. If your subscription ends, every book you already made keeps working.
Are Cash Books included in backups and exports?
Section titled “Are Cash Books included in backups and exports?”Yes. Cash Books are part of your backup. You can export a book as CSV or PDF, with money in and money out for the period you are viewing.
Can I turn off categories?
Section titled “Can I turn off categories?”Yes. Turn on Go Categoryless in Settings and Porul skips the category step for income and savings.
The calculators
Section titled “The calculators”How does the hidden-charge check work?
Section titled “How does the hidden-charge check work?”Porul works out the fair EMI from your loan amount, rate and tenure. If the EMI your bank quoted is higher, the difference means charges are folded into the instalment, and Porul shows that hidden cost. See Loans.
Will Porul’s EMI match my bank’s exactly?
Section titled “Will Porul’s EMI match my bank’s exactly?”It uses the standard formula with the nominal annual rate. Banks may round differently or use their own conventions, so small differences are normal.
Are the goal projections guaranteed?
Section titled “Are the goal projections guaranteed?”No. They are estimates from the return and contributions you enter. Real returns vary. See Goals.
Are the web calculators the same as the app?
Section titled “Are the web calculators the same as the app?”The calculators on myporul.com are free tools for quick checks. The app adds saved loans and goals, your budget and your diary.
Pricing and subscriptions
Section titled “Pricing and subscriptions”Is Porul free?
Section titled “Is Porul free?”Daily tracking, including one Cash Book, is free. Porul Premium adds Budget, Loans, Goals, Analytics and more Cash Books. See Pricing.
Is there a free trial?
Section titled “Is there a free trial?”Yes, a 7-day free trial on your first subscription.
How do I cancel?
Section titled “How do I cancel?”Through your App Store or Google Play subscription settings. Cancel before the trial ends to avoid being charged.
I reinstalled the app. How do I get Premium back?
Section titled “I reinstalled the app. How do I get Premium back?”Usually you don’t need to do anything: the first time Porul opens, it checks with the App Store or Google Play and unlocks Premium if your subscription is active. If it doesn’t, open the Premium screen and tap Restore Purchases.
Does Premium need the internet?
Section titled “Does Premium need the internet?”Only now and then. Porul checks your subscription with the store in the background, every month on a monthly plan or every three months on a yearly plan. If you are offline when a check is due, Premium keeps working for up to 30 days while Porul tries again.
What happens to my data if I stop subscribing?
Section titled “What happens to my data if I stop subscribing?”It stays on your phone. Only the Plan and Analytics screens are locked until you subscribe again, and you can’t create another Cash Book. Books you already have keep working.
Still stuck?
Section titled “Still stuck?”Email us at connect@myporul.com.