Use the guided setup
Step through the life areas, select the categories that fit, and build a draft category list.
Updated October 30, 2026
Guide me through it asks about one area of your life at a time. You select the categories that fit, and Good Steward builds a draft category list from your choices.
Steps
- On Your path, select Guide me through it.
- Select the categories you want. A check mark shows on selected categories. Select one again to clear it.
- To add a category that is not listed, enter its name in Add your own… and press Enter, or select the plus button (+). The new category appears checked with a yours tag. Select it to remove it. A name can be up to 60 characters.
- Select Next for the next area or Back for the previous one. To go to an area you have already been on, select its name in the area list. On the first area, Back returns to Your path.
- On the last area, select Review my categories. The Review & prioritize step opens. See Review your starting categories.
The line above the progress bar shows where you are, for example "Area 1 of 8". There are 8 areas, or 9 if you selected I own rental property on About you, which adds the Rental property area. The guided setup does not ask for amounts. You enter them on the Plan step.
The area list
Under the progress bar, the area list shows every area in order. The area you are on is in bold. Select the name of an area you have already been on to go to it. Your choices stay as they are. An area you have not reached yet shows as plain text and cannot be selected. Good Steward remembers how far you got, so the list is the same when you return.
Areas and choices
| Area | Choices |
|---|---|
| Your income | Salary / paycheck, Business & side income, Rental income, Government benefits, Investment income, Other income |
| Home | Rent, Mortgage, Property tax, Utilities, Internet & phone, Home & renter insurance, Home maintenance |
| Getting around | Car payment, Gas & charging, Car insurance, Car maintenance, Public transit, Parking |
| Rental property | Property mortgage & fees, Property tax (rental), Property insurance, Repairs & maintenance, Property utilities, Vacancy reserve, Property management |
| Food & daily life | Groceries, Household supplies, Clothing, Personal care |
| Family & health | Child care, Kids' school & activities, Pet care, Healthcare & medications, Life & health insurance, Supporting family, Tuition & fees |
| Fun & lifestyle | Eating out, Entertainment, Subscriptions, Shopping, Travel, Fitness & sports, Hobbies |
| Debts | Credit card payment, Student loan, Personal loan, Line of credit |
| Saving & giving | Giving, Emergency Fund, Retirement, Big goal fund, Investments |
Choices go into the standard groups: Income, Generosity, Savings, Essentials, Needs and Wants. Debts choices go into a Debt Payments group and Rental property choices into a Rental Property group. On Review & prioritize, you can move a category to another group, but not into or out of Income.
A category you add goes into the group that most of that area's choices use. If the name is already checked in your list, "Already in your list" appears. If a choice with that name is listed in an area and is not checked, a message names the area, for example "Public transit is listed under Getting around. You can tick it there." The name is not added. Go to that area and check the choice there.
Which choices start checked
Your answers on About you check matching choices, for example Rent for I rent, Child care for I have kids and Student loan for I'm a student. These start checked for everyone: Salary / paycheck, Utilities, Internet & phone, Groceries, Household supplies, Clothing, Personal care, Healthcare & medications, Eating out, Entertainment, Subscriptions, Giving and Emergency Fund.
When you return to the guided setup, it shows what you saved last time instead of checking choices again. If you edited the list on Review & prioritize, your renames, additions, removals and order are kept.