A goal is a target with a deadline, backed by a real account. Think of it as an envelope inside that account: you decide how much of the account's money is earmarked for this goal, so progress reflects money that actually exists, not a number you typed.
Creating a goal
Go to Goals and create one
Name, target amount, and (optionally) a target date.
Back it with one account
A dedicated savings account works best. (Each account holds one active goal at a time.)
Choose how the goal tracks
Manual (the default): you explicitly earmark money to the goal with the Allocate button, and progress is the sum of what you've allocated. Allocating is just a ledger label (no money moves), so one account can hold several purposes without you opening new accounts. Un-allocate any time.
Mirror: the whole backing account balance is the goal's progress. Best when the account exists only for this goal.
Why account-backed matters
Apps that let you type a progress number turn goals into fiction. Wealth Mutant ties every goal to real money in a real account. Whether you earmark it (allocate) or mirror the whole balance, the progress bar can't run ahead of money you actually have. Honest numbers are kinder in the long run. They tell you when you're actually safe.
Goals and the bigger picture
- Your emergency fund goal maps directly onto the early Mutation Path levels: Level 2 asks for one month of cover: your liquid balance (cash, checking, wallet and savings added together) at or above your own average monthly spending, sized from your data rather than a generic figure. The money does not have to sit in a separate account, and the target needs three complete months of tracking before it can be worked out. See Understanding the Mutation Path.
- Goal money still counts in your net worth. It's yours; it just has a job.
Adjusting
Targets, dates, and backing accounts can all be edited as life changes. Completing a goal keeps its history; deleting one never touches the money (accounts and transactions are untouched; only the goal wrapper goes).
