"Checkbook" Tool I have been working on

[cmg-ops]

[ToBeMoreHuman] mentioned posting our projects so we aren't working on the same idea. I think its a great Idea so here is one of mine.

I got a LP3 to get away from screens, but now I no longer have a banking app and it made me wonder what people used to do and I remembered that people used to balance their checkbook. which gave me this idea.

It's black and white, works completely offline.

All your accounts in one place, or like how I am using it categories in my budget so I can track it. I have a running total at the top of all the categories or account combined.

Tap any account to open it up.
Every account keeps a running list of transactions, newest at the top. Each one shows what it was for, the category, the amount, and — the part I really wanted — the balance right after that transaction. So I'm never guessing what I had left on any given day.

Adding something is quick: tap the amount out on a number pad (no tiny keyboard), jot a memo, pick a category, and say whether it's money in or money out. That's it.

Categories that stick around. The first time you type a category — groceries, gas, rent — it saves itself, so after that it's just a tap. You can add a new one right in the moment without leaving what you're doing.

The option to edit. I mess up entries all the time, so anything can be edited or deleted after the fact. Edits keep the original date and time, so your history stays honest.

I don't have the code posted yet. Let me know if you want it posted.
I hope you guys like it. If anyone has any Ideas to make it better let me know.

Here are some random accounts I made for examples:

[jussaumm-png]

I like this idea. For my monthly budget I have a spreadsheet that I adjust each month with projected income and expenses for categories. It could be useful to add budget features to this tool.

Thoughts?

[cmg-ops]

I will think this over. Do you have any blank examples of maybe your budget process? I just want it to be right.

[jussaumm-png]

Budget Example.xlsx

Nerding out on budget spreadsheets :D Here is a .xlsx version (I had to export from the Mac spreadsheet tool)

At the start of the month you decide how much you allocate to the categories for expenses. Also you project your income. Ideally your planned income is greater than expenses ;) Then as the month goes by you put your transactions in the row associated with the category (mortgage payment goes in the mortgage row); a pay check goes against a paycheck. All the transactions for a category are totaled for your actual expenses for a given category. There are also summary calculations so you can see how things are overall for each month.

Hope this makes sense with the example spreadsheet!

[cmg-ops]

man the older I get the more I love spreadsheets! I love this I will study it and see how it could work. I may even make two versions of the app, simple and expanded. Thank you for getting me the spreadsheet!

[jussaumm-png]

Glad someone also finds this interesting!

A wrinkle of my current budget workflow is that both my wife and I can update the budget spreadsheet on iPhones and the family computer so this all works within the Apple ecosystem which handles spreadsheet version syncing. It would be great if the Light Phone tool could could integrate, even if it is a bit manual.

[cmg-ops]

I will keep this in mind it all comes back to the file system. But I will try.

[cmg-ops]

@jussaumm-png I've been working on the Budget app which started out as this app but as more and more changes happened I found its really a different app. But I think I am getting close. at least to a version with very few issues. I will post a new tool discussion when Im done with screenshots and links. Are you wanting to test it with me for input?

[jussaumm-png]

Hi there, yes certainly willing to help test. Point me to how to get started with loading the tool.

And, yes, completely agree that budget tool is different tool than checkbook. 👍

awesome to hear of your progress!