How is this different from a budget-vs-actual project tracker?

A budget-vs-actual tracker watches your internal costs against a project plan. This record stores the spending cap the client authorized you to bill — the external ceiling. You check invoices against it before billing; it doesn't track your costs or margins.

Does Cash Workspace read the authorized amount from my PO automatically?

No. Cash Workspace does not read, scan, or extract figures from attached documents. You attach the PO or approval and type the authorized amount into the field yourself. The attachment is your proof; the field is what you check against.

What do I do when a client increases the budget?

Add a dated change entry with the new cap and attach the document that authorized the increase, rather than overwriting the old number. The record then shows the full approval history.

Can one client have more than one authorized budget?

Yes. If a client approves budgets separately for distinct engagements, create one record per engagement so each cap stays its own clean reference. Name each for its engagement to keep them distinct.

Is keeping this record a substitute for a contract or legal review?

No. This is an organizational reference for what was authorized. It does not review, validate, or enforce any agreement, and it is not legal or accounting advice. For the meaning or enforceability of an authorization, consult the appropriate professional.

Cash Workspace

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Client finance records

Client budget on file: a record of authorized spend

When a client tells you "you're approved up to $12,000 for this engagement," that number needs a home. A client budget-on-file record stores the spending each client has authorized — the cap they signed off on — alongside the document that proves it, so before any invoice goes out you can check the billing against approved spend. This page is about the standing authorized ceiling: what was approved, who approved it, in what document, and how much of it you have billed against so far. It is not a record of how accurate your estimates turned out to be, and it is not a per-project budget-vs-actual cost tracker. It is the reference you reach for to answer one question: "Has this client authorized me to bill this amount?"

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The problem

Why an authorized-budget record matters

The authorization usually arrives buried somewhere — a line in an email, a PDF purchase order, a clause in a signed scope of work. Months later, when you are about to invoice, the original number is hard to find and easy to misremember. Billing past an approved cap is one of the fastest ways to trigger a payment hold or a dispute, because the client's accounts-payable side checks every invoice against what was authorized before they release funds. Keeping the authorized figure and its proof in one record removes the guesswork.

The approval lives in an email thread or a PO PDF that nobody can find when it's time to invoice.
Different people on your side remember the cap differently — was it $10,000 or $12,000?
You bill a little past the authorized amount, the invoice stalls in the client's AP queue, and you don't know why.
An approved budget increase gets agreed verbally but never written down, so the new cap isn't documented.
Nobody tracks how much of the approved amount is already used, so you can't tell how much headroom is left before the next invoice.

How it works

Setting up a budget-on-file record

Create one authorized-budget record per client (or per engagement, if a client authorizes budgets separately for distinct bodies of work). The goal is a single reference you check against before invoicing — not a live accounting figure.

1
Create the budget record under the client
In the client's folder, add a record named for the authorization, e.g. "Northwind Co — Authorized Budget 2026." If a client approves budgets per engagement, name each one for the engagement: "Northwind Co — Website Rebuild — Authorized $48,000."
2
Record the authorized amount and its source
Enter the approved cap as a number, the currency, the date it was authorized, and the document type it came from — PO, signed SOW, retainer authorization, or email approval. Note who on the client side approved it by name and role.
3
Attach the proof document
Attach the actual authorization to the record: the PO PDF, the countersigned scope of work, or a saved copy of the approval email. This is the evidence you point to if a billing is ever questioned. Cash Workspace does not read or extract figures from the attachment — you type the authorized number into the field yourself.
4
Log billings against the cap as you invoice
Each time you issue an invoice that draws on this budget, add a line to the record: invoice number, date, amount. Keep a running 'billed to date' so the remaining headroom against the cap is visible at a glance before the next invoice.
5
Record any change to the cap as a new entry
When a client raises (or lowers) the authorized amount, don't overwrite the old number — add a dated change entry with the new cap and attach the document that authorized the change. The record then shows the full history of what was approved and when.

Record structure

Fields to record per client budget

These are the metadata fields that make a budget-on-file record useful as a billing reference. Keep them factual — this is a place to store what was authorized, not to calculate margins or project costs.

Client / engagement name: Which client and, if budgets are authorized separately, which engagement this cap covers (e.g. "Northwind Co — Q2 Retainer").
Authorized amount & currency: The approved spending cap as a figure, with currency, e.g. $48,000 USD. This is the number every invoice is checked against.
Authorization date: The date the client signed off on this amount — important when a cap is later revised.
Approval source / document type: What the authorization is: purchase order, signed SOW, retainer authorization, or email approval. The PO or document number goes here too.
Authorized by (name & role): Who on the client side approved it, e.g. "M. Reyes, Marketing Director" — useful if AP questions the spend.
Billed to date: Running total of invoiced amounts drawing on this budget, so remaining headroom against the cap is visible.
Remaining headroom: Authorized amount minus billed to date — the simple subtraction you note so you know how much you can still invoice.
Status: A plain label such as Active, Fully billed, Increased, or Closed, so you can tell at a glance whether there's room left.
Attached proof: The authorization document itself (PO PDF, countersigned SOW, saved approval email) attached to the record.

Example setup

An example folder layout

Here is how a budget-on-file set might look inside a few client folders. Each client carries one record per authorized budget, with the proof attached and a short billing log inside.

Clients / Northwind Co / Authorized Budgets /

Two records: "Website Rebuild — Authorized $48,000 (PO #NW-2241)." with the PO PDF attached, billed-to-date $31,500, headroom $16,500, status Active; and "Q2 Retainer — Authorized $9,000/mo (SOW countersigned 2026-03-30)." with the signed SOW attached.

Clients / Harbor Dental / Authorized Budgets /

One record: "Brand Refresh — Authorized $15,000 (email approval, J. Tran, Practice Manager)." with the saved approval email attached, plus a change entry: "+$4,000 approved 2026-05-12" with the follow-up email attached. New cap $19,000.

Clients / Belmont Logistics / Authorized Budgets /

One record: "Annual Support — Authorized $24,000 (PO #BL-7788)." with PO attached, billing log showing four quarterly invoices of $6,000, billed-to-date $18,000, headroom $6,000, status Active.

Clients / Cedar Studio / Authorized Budgets /

One record: "Photo Series — Authorized $7,500 (signed estimate accepted 2026-02-09)." status Fully billed, headroom $0, with a note pointing to the next engagement's new budget record.

Common mistakes

Common mistakes to avoid

Storing only the number and not the document — when AP questions a billing, the proof is what settles it.
Overwriting the old cap when a budget is increased, so you lose the history of what was approved and when.
Mixing this up with budget-vs-actual project costing — this record is the authorized ceiling, not your internal cost tracking.
Letting 'billed to date' go stale, so you can't tell how much headroom is left before the next invoice.
Recording a verbally agreed increase without attaching anything — an undocumented cap change is the same as no change.
Keeping one giant budget record for a client who actually authorizes separate budgets per engagement, so the caps blur together.

How it helps

How Cash Workspace helps

One record per authorized budget

Store each client's approved cap, currency, authorization date, and approver as plain fields you fill in yourself — a clear standing reference for what was authorized.

Proof attached to the record

Attach the PO, signed SOW, or approval email directly to the budget record, so the authorization and its evidence live together.

A simple billing log against the cap

Add a line per invoice so 'billed to date' and remaining headroom stay visible before you issue the next one — a manual tally you maintain, not an automatic calculation.

Organized under each client

Keep budget records inside the client's folder alongside their other finance records, and export any record when you need to share it. Cash Workspace is free.

Client estimate vs final record

The sibling that tracks how your estimates compared to what you finally billed — quoting-accuracy history, distinct from this page's authorized cap.

Client billing profile records

The static master profile per client — legal name, bill-to, tax ID, payment terms — that sits alongside the authorized-budget record.

Client account summary sheet

A current one-pager per client (billed to date, outstanding now, terms) that complements the authorized-cap view.

PO-required client tracker

Tracks which clients mandate a valid PO before they pay and stores the PO doc — closely related when the authorized budget arrives as a purchase order.

Client prepaid balance records

A running retainer/prepaid drawdown ledger per client — the balance-remaining counterpart when work draws down money already paid.

Client finance dashboard

Bring each client's billing picture together in one place, with the authorized budget records feeding the per-client view.

FAQ

Frequently asked questions

How is this different from a budget-vs-actual project tracker?: A budget-vs-actual tracker watches your internal costs against a project plan. This record stores the spending cap the client authorized you to bill — the external ceiling. You check invoices against it before billing; it doesn't track your costs or margins.
Does Cash Workspace read the authorized amount from my PO automatically?: No. Cash Workspace does not read, scan, or extract figures from attached documents. You attach the PO or approval and type the authorized amount into the field yourself. The attachment is your proof; the field is what you check against.
What do I do when a client increases the budget?: Add a dated change entry with the new cap and attach the document that authorized the increase, rather than overwriting the old number. The record then shows the full approval history.
Can one client have more than one authorized budget?: Yes. If a client approves budgets separately for distinct engagements, create one record per engagement so each cap stays its own clean reference. Name each for its engagement to keep them distinct.
Is keeping this record a substitute for a contract or legal review?: No. This is an organizational reference for what was authorized. It does not review, validate, or enforce any agreement, and it is not legal or accounting advice. For the meaning or enforceability of an authorization, consult the appropriate professional.

What this record is — and isn't

A budget-on-file record is an organizational reference for the spending each client has authorized — it stores the cap and its proof so you can check billings against approved spend. It is not accounting or bookkeeping software, it does not validate or enforce any authorization, and nothing here is legal, tax, or accounting advice. Cash Workspace does not sync with your bank, does not read or extract figures from attached documents, and does not calculate amounts for you — you enter the authorized number and the billing log yourself. For the meaning, validity, or enforceability of any client authorization, consult a qualified professional.

Put every client's authorized budget on file

Start a free Cash Workspace and give each client a single record for the spending they've authorized — cap, currency, approver, and the proof document attached — so you can check every invoice against approved spend before it goes out. It's free to begin. Questions? Reach the operator, HELPERG LLC, at info@helperg.com.