Inspiration
As a 20-something professional, I watched friends stress over unexpected costs—no safety net, no clear way to save. Most financial tools felt overwhelming, full of jargon or locked behind logins. I wanted something simple: a tool that turns "save 3-6 months of expenses" from a vague goal into actionable steps, built for people like me who just need clarity, not complexity.
What it does
EmergencyFund Builder lets users input monthly essential expenses to calculate 3/6-month emergency fund targets. It generates weekly/bi-weekly/monthly savings plans (auto-adjusting for timeframe changes), shows high-yield savings account options, and tracks progress with visual bars/milestone badges—all without login or financial expertise.
How we built it
I started with core logic: $3\text{-month target} = \text{monthly expenses} \times 3$, $6\text{-month target} = \text{monthly expenses} \times 6$, then savings per period = (target - current savings) ÷ timeframe periods. I built the UI with HTML/CSS/Tailwind for clean, approachable design, used React for page navigation, and Chart.js for progress visualizations. Testing focused on edge cases (e.g., $0 expenses, savings exceeding goals) to keep it user-friendly.
Challenges we ran into
The biggest hurdle was balancing simplicity with accuracy—rounding savings amounts to whole dollars (for readability) while keeping calculations fair, and warning users about unrealistic timeframes without discouraging them. Designing responsive visuals that worked on all devices (no native mobile app, so web-first was key) also took iteration.
Accomplishments that we're proud of
Creating a tool that’s truly intuitive—users go from landing page to a complete savings plan in 3 clicks. The progress tracker (with 25%/50%/75%/100% milestones) turns saving into a tangible win, and the "Do Not Touch" reminder reinforces financial discipline without being preachy.
What we learned
I learned that financial tools succeed when they meet users where they are—ditching jargon and login walls matters more than fancy features. I also honed my skills in user-centric error handling (e.g., clear messages for invalid inputs) and data visualization that’s informative, not overwhelming.
What's next for this project
First, expand high-yield savings account recommendations to include regional options (US/EU-specific). Then, add a printable savings schedule and a simple "contribution log" for manual tracking. Long-term, explore offline access (no internet needed to update progress) while keeping the tool free and login-free.
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