Broke Buddy

Inspiration

We observed that students constantly run out of money before the end of the month but don’t understand why it happens. Small, frequent expenses like UPI payments, subscriptions, and food orders silently drain finances. Existing apps only track past spending, but don’t help users make better decisions in real time. This gap inspired us to build BrokeBuddy — not just a tracker, but a financial decision-making assistant for students.

What it does

BrokeBuddy is a gamified fintech web app focused on student financial wellness. It: Tracks daily expenses automatically Predicts future balance using ML Generates budgets without manual input Gives real-time alerts like SAFE / CAUTION / RISKY before spending Suggests beginner-friendly investments Instead of telling users what they did, it tells them what they should do next.

How we built it

Frontend: HTML, CSS, JavaScript (clean, responsive UI) Backend: Node.js + Express.js Database: PostgreSQL AI/ML Layer: ML models for expense prediction Anomaly detection for unusual spending Gemini AI for chatbot-based financial advice OCR engine for receipt scanning

Challenges we ran into

Designing accurate predictions with limited or noisy financial data Building a system that works without manual input, while still staying personalized Making financial insights simple and non-intimidating for students Integrating multiple components (OCR + ML + chatbot + backend) smoothly Balancing technical depth with a clean UI/UX

Accomplishments that we're proud of

Built a fully working prototype, not just a concept Created a real-time decision engine (SAFE / CAUTION / RISKY) Developed AI-driven budgeting with zero manual effort Designed a system that feels intuitive, not overwhelming Positioned the product clearly against competitors like YNAB and Cleo Delivered a solution focused on a 400M+ underserved student market

What we learned

Financial behavior is more about psychology than math Users don’t want more data — they want clear decisions AI becomes powerful when it’s actionable, not just analytical Simplicity in UI is as important as complexity in backend Building for students requires empathy + usability + clarity

What’s next for BrokeBuddy

Improve ML models with larger datasets for better predictions Add bank/UPI integration for real-time automatic tracking

Built With

• backend:
• css
• express.js
• html
• javascript-(clean
• node.js
• postgresql
• responsive
• ui)