MumMoney

A cross-platform AI finance app that combines budgeting, education, and cost-aware meal planning.

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The idea for MumMoney came from my mum.

She is always busy and often doesn’t have time to sit down and plan meals. Most food decisions are made quickly, and those quick decisions usually cost more than expected. While watching this, I realized how closely time pressure and money loss are connected.

At the same time, I was managing a small income myself and trying to save. When I finally sat down to calculate how I spent from the little I earned, I noticed that food expenses quietly took a large portion of my money.

That’s when the idea clicked:
What if busy people—especially parents—had a simple tool that helps them plan meals, understand the cost, and see how daily choices affect savings?

What it does

MumMoney is a cross-platform mobile app that helps users make better financial decisions by connecting meal planning with personal finance.

The app allows users to:

  • Plan meals and view meal cost estimates
  • Generate shopping lists
  • Track savings and financial goals
  • Receive AI-powered financial tips and guidance
  • Access basic financial education and insights
  • Unlock premium features through subscriptions

By planning before spending, users can reduce unnecessary costs—especially around food.

How we built it

MumMoney was built as a full-stack, cross-platform application.

Frontend

  • React Native (Expo) with TypeScript
  • NativeWind (Tailwind CSS)
  • Context and custom hooks for state management
  • RevenueCat for subscription management
  • OpenAI integration for AI-powered tips

Backend

  • Laravel (PHP)
  • RESTful APIs for authentication, savings, and planning

APIs Used

  • TheMealDB for meal and recipe data
  • OpenAI for AI insights
  • RevenueCat for in-app purchases

Challenges we ran into

  • Designing for busy users without overwhelming them
  • Keeping the app simple while combining finance, meals, and AI
  • Ensuring subscription states stay in sync across platforms
  • Handling external API limitations and data inconsistencies

Accomplishments that we're proud of

  • Turning a real-life family problem into a working product
  • Successfully integrating AI in a practical, non-overwhelming way
  • Building a full-stack mobile app within hackathon constraints
  • Connecting lifestyle choices with financial planning in a meaningful way

What we learned

  • Financial problems are often behavioral and lifestyle-related
  • Small daily decisions can have a big impact on long-term savings
  • AI is most useful when it supports clarity, not complexity
  • Building for real users leads to better design decisions

A key idea behind the app is:

$$ \text{Savings} = \text{Income} - \text{Planned Expenses} $$

What's next for MumMoney

Next, we plan to:

  • Add smarter AI-driven meal and budget recommendations
  • Integrate local food pricing for more accurate cost estimates
  • Support family and household accounts
  • Improve offline support for busy users
  • Expand financial education content for beginners

MumMoney started as a personal idea, but it has the potential to help many busy families make better financial decisions—one meal at a time.

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