No, you don't need to import every day

When you start with a new budgeting app, it is easy to think the data should be up to date all the time. Maybe an import after every purchase? Maybe daily?

It is more work than it is worth. Most people need to import transactions far less often than they think, and the number of import sessions in the free plan is sized for exactly that.

What is an import session?

An import session is one file upload from your bank into Luma. You export a CSV file from your online banking, upload it to Luma, and that counts as one session, regardless of whether the file contains 10 or 200 transactions.

The free plan includes 8 import sessions a month. That might sound restrictive. The maths tells a different story.

The maths that shows it is enough

A month has 4 weeks, sometimes 5. If you import once a week, you use 4 or 5 of the 8 available sessions. The rest is buffer.

Import rhythm	Sessions used per month	Buffer (out of 8)	Suits
Weekly (1 x week)	4-5	3-4	Most people
Twice a week	8-10	0 or in deficit	Special periods
Every other week	2-3	5-6	Quiet months
Once a month	1	7	Minimal tracking

The weekly rhythm gives you up-to-date numbers without eating into your quota. And the 3 to 4 sessions in reserve cover the weeks where something goes sideways, for example because you exported the wrong date range and had to try again, or because you imported from two accounts in the same week.

Who might find that 8 isn't enough?

For most people with one bank account and a weekly import, 8 sessions a month is more than enough. But some situations eat into the buffer more quickly:

• You have two or more bank accounts and import from each of them weekly
• You are in the middle of a tight saving month and want to keep a close eye on things
• You spot a mistake in an earlier import and need to upload the file again

In situations like that, you can end up over 8. The Plus plan, which has no import limit, is then an option. But do try the free plan first, you'll probably find that 8 lasts a long time.

A weekly import rhythm that actually works

Here is a routine that keeps your budget current within the free quota for the whole month:

1. Pick one fixed day, for example Monday morning or Sunday evening
2. Log in to your online banking and export transactions from the last 7 days
3. Upload the file to Luma and go through the suggested categories
4. Adjust one or two miscategorised transactions if needed
5. Close the app and forget about the budget until next week

It takes under ten minutes. Four times a month. That is all it takes to keep your budget alive and accurate.

Start with one session, not eight

The best time to import is not "constantly". It is "often enough to spot patterns and react in time".

For most people, weekly is often enough. And eight import sessions cover that with room to spare.