FutureSpend

Inspiration

People juggle work, social, and personal calendars every day, but most budgeting tools don’t take that into account. I built FutureSpend because events like “Study Group” or “Group Run” aren’t just calendar entries; these events often lead to spending on coffee or food. Tools like RBC NOMI don’t predict that ahead of time. My goal was to turn calendar data into clear, actionable spending insights using a smarter predictive approach.

What it does

FutureSpend analyzes events across multiple calendars and predicts the likely spending tied to each activity. Instead of reacting after money is spent, users get forward-looking estimates and suggestions so they can plan ahead and make better financial decisions.

How we built it

I built a full-stack application using React for the frontend, Express for the backend, and Google Gemini AI for intelligent spending predictions. The system processes calendar data and converts it into estimated dollar impacts for upcoming events.

Challenges we ran into

One of the main challenges was managing AI usage efficiently. I implemented a backend rate limiter to control Gemini API calls and prevent overuse. Prompt engineering was also tricky in that getting the model to return concrete, useful spending estimates required multiple iterations.

Accomplishments that we're proud of

I’m proud of successfully delivering an end-to-end predictive finance tool in my first hackathon.

What we learned

Through this project, I learned how to integrate AI meaningfully into a product rather than just as a novelty. I also gained experience with prompt tuning, backend safeguards for AI calls, and how gamification and community features can encourage better financial habits.

What's next for FutureSpend

Next steps include improving prediction accuracy, expanding calendar integrations, and adding more personalized recommendations. I’d also like to refine the user experience and explore deeper gamification features to keep users engaged over time.

Built With

• express.js
• gemini-api
• react