Inspiration

Managing personal finances can feel overwhelming, especially for beginners or people without a background in budgeting tools. We wanted to create a simple, beginner-friendly, and visually intuitive solution that helps users take control of their spending, savings, and financial goals — all without needing to learn complex financial software. That’s how BudgetBuddy was born.

What it does

BudgetBuddy is a low-code personal finance web app designed to help users: Log and categorize daily expenses Set monthly budget goals for different categories (e.g., food, transport, entertainment) Track savings progress Visualize spending trends with interactive graphs Get reminders for upcoming bill payments All of this is delivered through a clean, easy-to-use interface that emphasizes simplicity and clarity.

How we built it

We used the following tools and technologies:

Frontend: HTML, CSS, JavaScript, Bootstrap for UI

Backend: Firebase for authentication and real-time database

Data Visualization: Chart.js for creating interactive graphs

Reminders/Notifications: Firebase Cloud Functions + EmailJS

Low-Code Tools: Integrated Google Forms for quick expense input and synced with Sheets for real-time updates (as a fallback solution for non-dev users)

Challenges we ran into

Designing an intuitive UI that doesn't overwhelm new users while still offering enough functionality

Integrating data visualization tools in a lightweight way without bloating the app

Managing real-time updates to expenses and syncing across devices

Implementing scheduled reminders without over-complicating backend logic

Accomplishments that we're proud of

Created a working MVP within the hackathon time frame

Made budgeting accessible and unintimidating for beginners

Successfully integrated real-time tracking and dynamic graph updates

Designed a modular layout, making future feature additions easier

What we learned

The importance of UX in financial tools — users want clarity, not clutter

How to effectively use Firebase for quick backend setup

Techniques for using low-code/no-code tools to complement custom-built features

How to balance scope with execution under tight deadlines

What's next for BudgetBuddy

Built With

and-detailed-financial-summaries-via-php-scripts-**project-structure**-organized-assets-including-css
css
html
javascript
logout)-budget-creation-and-expense/income-tracking-dynamic-reports-and-analytics:-daily
monthly
php
profile
register
reset/change-password
scss
scss-(sass-for-modular-styles)-**backend**-php-server-side-scripting-mysql-(database-via-included-sql-schema-file)-**frontend**-responsive-ui-using-css/scss-and-javascript-**features-&-functionality**-user-authentication-and-account-management-(login
yearly