Your Zawly Dashboard: What You Need to Know

The dashboard is the first page you see after signing in. It's your family's command centre — giving you a quick overview of what is happening today and how your family's budget looks, all in one place.

Why the Dashboard Matters

Most families check their dashboard daily because it answers the three big questions:

What's happening today?
How are we doing with money this month?
Who's in our family workspace?

No hunting through different pages — it's all there from the moment you log in.

Today's Events Section

The top section shows all events scheduled for today:

What You'll See

Event titles with times (e.g., "School Pickup 3:15 PM")
Who added them (helpful in larger families to know who committed to what)
Any notes attached to the event (like "Bring swimming kit")

Using Today's Events

Click on an event to view the full details
Make changes directly if things have shifted
Quickly see if the day is packed or has breathing room

For Families with Kids

Encourage children to check the dashboard each morning:

"What's happening today?"
"Who's picking me up?"
"Do I need to bring anything?"

This builds independence and reduces the "What's happening today?" questions.

Monthly Income and Expenses Summary

The dashboard summarises your family's finances for the current month:

The Three Numbers

| Metric | What It Means | |--------|----------------| | Income | Total money received this month (salary, benefits, side work) | | Expenses | Total money spent this month (all categories combined) | | Left | What remains (income minus expenses) |

Why This Matters

Green "Left" number = you're living within your means
Red "Left" number = you've spent more than came in
Tracking this daily helps you adjust spending before the month ends

Switching Months

The dashboard defaults to the current month, but you can:

Look back at past months to see spending patterns
Check future months (once income/expenses are added)
Understand seasonal spending (December is always more expensive!)

Family Members Section

See who's in your family workspace:

What's Displayed

Each member's name
Their role: Admin (can invite/remove members) or Member (can view and add)
Quick access to family settings (if you're an admin)

Managing Family Members

From the dashboard, admins can:

Invite new members using the "Invite Member" button
Change roles (promote a member to admin)
Remove members if someone leaves the household

For Larger Families

In families with 5+ members, the dashboard helps you:

Quickly see who's part of the household
Identify if someone hasn't logged in recently
Keep track of who has what permissions

Recent Transactions

The dashboard shows your most recent income and expense entries:

Why Show Recent Transactions?

You don't have to navigate to the Expenses page to remember what was recorded
Quick verification: "Yes, I did record that £42 grocery shop"
Spot mistakes quickly: "That should have been £24, not £42!"

Viewing Transaction Details

Click on any recent transaction to:

See the full details (amount, category, date, notes)
Edit it if something was wrong
Delete it if it was a mistake

Getting Around from the Dashboard

The dashboard is your launch pad for the rest of Zawly:

Quick Navigation

Calendar — view or add events for any day
Expenses — record income or spending, manage categories
Settings — manage your account, change password, update profile
Family — invite members, change roles, leave family

Keyboard Shortcuts (Mental Ones!)

Check dashboard first thing in the morning
Review it Sunday evening to prep for the week
Glance at it after recording an expense to see the updated totals

Dashboard Best Practices

1. Check It Daily

Make the dashboard your morning routine:

While drinking coffee
Before the school run
After the kids are out the door

2. Involve the Whole Family

Don't be the only one who checks it:

Show teenagers how to read the numbers
Teach kids to look at today's events
Make it a family habit, not a parent chore

3. Use It for Family Meetings

Gather around the dashboard (or each use your own device):

Review the week gone by
Check the money situation
Plan ahead for next week

4. Watch the "Left" Number

If it's getting low:

Check upcoming bills in the Expenses page
Talk as a family about any cutbacks needed
Celebrate when it's looking healthy!

Dashboard vs Individual Pages

| Feature | Dashboard | Calendar Page | Expenses Page | |---------|-----------|---------------|---------------| | Today's Events | ✅ Quick view | ✅ Full month view | ❌ Not shown | | Month Finances | ✅ Summary | ❌ Not shown | ✅ Detailed view | | Family Members | ✅ List view | ❌ Not shown | ❌ Not shown | | Recent Transactions | ✅ Last few | ❌ Not shown | ✅ All transactions | | Navigation | ✅ Quick links | ✅ Full calendar | ✅ Full expenses |

The dashboard is designed for at-a-glance information. Drill down into Calendar or Expenses for the full detail.

Common Dashboard Questions

"The 'Left' number looks wrong"

Check you've recorded all income for the month
Make sure recurring expenses are set with the right period
Remember: it's income minus expenses, not your bank balance

"I can't see events from last month"

The dashboard only shows today's events
Use the Calendar page to look at past or future months
The dashboard is deliberately focused on today

"Recent transactions aren't showing"

Only the most recent few appear on the dashboard
Go to Expenses page to see the full list
Make sure you actually recorded them!

"Can I customise what's on the dashboard?"

Currently, the dashboard shows a fixed set of information
Customisable widgets are being considered for future updates
The current layout covers what 95% of families need daily

Making the Dashboard Work for Your Family

For Working Parents

Check it before leaving for work
Know who's doing school pickup today
See if the monthly budget is on track

For Stay-at-Home Parents

Morning check to plan the day
Afternoon glance to prep for pickups
Evening review to record the day's spending.

For Teenagers

Check it before school to see the day ahead
Look at it before making plans (is the family busy?)
Learn to read the financial summary

For Kids

Ask them to check it themselves: "What's happening today?"
Teach them to look at the times
Build the habit of checking the night before

Connecting Dashboard to Your Life

The dashboard isn't just a page — it's a tool for family connection:

Less nagging: "Check the dashboard" instead of repeating instructions
More awareness: Everyone knows the financial picture
Better planning: See today, plan tomorrow, review the month

A calm family starts with knowing what's happening. The dashboard gives you that clarity in seconds.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: Can I change the order of information on the dashboard? A: The current layout is fixed, designed to show the most important information first (today's events, then money). Custom layouts may be added in a future update.

Q: Why doesn't the dashboard show tomorrow's events? A: It's focused on today to avoid overwhelming users. For tomorrow and beyond, use the Calendar page.

Q: The income and expense numbers seem wrong — what should I check? A: Verify that all transactions have the correct date and period (one-off, weekly, monthly, etc.). Recurring transactions need the right period to display correctly in monthly summaries.

Q: Can I see a different month's summary on the dashboard? A: The dashboard always shows the current month. To view past or future months, go to the Expenses page and use the month selector.

Q: Is the dashboard updated in real-time? A: Yes. When any family member adds an event or records an expense, the dashboard updates immediately for everyone.