The problem
Most personal finance apps either drown the user in features (investments, retirement modelling, credit scores) or hide the basics behind a paywall. We wanted the simplest possible thing — log it, categorise it, see the chart — built for our own use.
What we’re building
A React frontend over a Node + Express API on Postgres. Manual transaction entry is the primary flow (CSV import for batch). Categories are user-defined, budgets are monthly, and the chart on the home screen tells you the only thing that matters: are you in or out for the period.
The automation angle
Deliberately none. The lesson from previous personal-finance attempts is that automation increases setup friction and reduces ongoing engagement — the user never trusts what they didn’t see go in. Manual entry is faster than people think once it’s a 30-second daily habit.
How it’ll be used
- People in a budget reset who want a no-frills tracker.
- Couples sharing visibility on household spending without a SaaS subscription.
- Anyone tired of free apps becoming paid apps mid-financial-year.
Where we are
Core CRUD, categories, budgets, and the dashboard chart are working. Next milestone is recurring entries (rent, salary, regular bills) and a clean export.