🚀 Inspiration
Most budgeting apps feel either too restrictive or too passive. We wanted something smarter — a personal finance co-pilot that can think, listen, and guide users in real time. Our question was simple:
“What if you could just ask — Can I afford this? — and get a reasoned, data-driven answer?”
That idea sparked BudgetWise, an AI that helps you spend confidently without second-guessing yourself.
💰 What It Does
BudgetWise is an AI-powered budgeting assistant that classifies purchases, ranks priorities, and gives real-time recommendations — by text or voice.
You can:
Input your income and expenses (or let the AI infer them).
Ask if a purchase fits your budget.
Get actionable responses like:
“Yes, this fits under groceries.” “Wait — you have rent due in 3 days.”
It uses structured logic to evaluate affordability:
Available category = Budget category − ∑ Expenses category
and combines that with a ranking engine that prioritizes essentials over wants.
🧠 How We Built It
Frontend: Next.js + Tailwind CSS for a modern, responsive UI.
Backend: FastAPI microservices to handle logic, ranking, and AI calls.
Database: Supabase for user auth and real-time budget data.
AI Layer: GPT-based reasoning for expense classification and financial advice.
Voice I/O: ElevenLabs for smooth speech-to-text and text-to-speech conversations.
All services communicate via REST APIs, enabling modular deployment and scalability.
🧩 Challenges We Faced
Getting the AI to consistently classify expenses into fixed categories.
Managing real-time synchronization across Supabase and the frontend.
Reducing latency while maintaining conversational quality.
Handling edge cases in voice transcription and LLM reasoning.
🧭 What We Learned
LLMs are powerful interpreters — but real utility comes from combining AI reasoning with structured logic.
Microservice design and Supabase integration taught us the importance of clear data flow.
Most importantly, we learned that budgeting isn’t just math — it’s psychology. By blending financial models with natural conversation, BudgetWise makes money management feel human.
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