# Budget reached

> Why a session stopped before its budget, what you were charged, how to raise the budget of a running session, and how to get warned before the end.

Budget Guard stopped the session before it reached the budget you set. You are never charged more than that budget.

## What happened

- The budget was reserved on your prepaid credit at launch.
- Budget Guard stops the session a margin before the budget runs out, so the stop completes in time.
- Any time past the budget is absorbed by Node Lodge, never charged.
- The unspent part of the budget returns to your credit.

The session page says **Stopped before reaching its budget**, and you get an e-mail.

## Your data

The machine and its disk are erased when the session ends. Files that were not copied off are gone. Launch a new session and resume from your last checkpoint.

## Raise the budget of a running session

On the session page, select **Raise budget** and enter the new total. The difference is reserved on your credit at once. A budget can be raised, never lowered.

Not enough credit? Add credit in **Billing** first.

## Get warned earlier

The console notifies you at 50 percent and 80 percent of a session's budget. To get these by e-mail too, turn them on in **Notification settings**. See [Notifications](https://nodelodge.com/docs/notifications).

## Next launch

- Set a budget that covers the whole job, with room to copy results off.
- Save checkpoints on a schedule.
- A launch whose budget is higher than your credit is refused with `CREDIT_INSUFFICIENT`.