MoneyPal - Personal Cash Flow Tracker

🚀 QUICK START REMINDER: After running python app.py, open http://127.0.0.1:5000/ in your browser

A Flask-based personal finance PWA focused on cash flow forecasting rather than traditional budgeting. The key insight: most apps track past spending but don't solve the real problem of "will I have enough money left at the end of the month?"

💡 Project Vision

MoneyPal addresses a key gap in personal finance apps: most track past spending but don't solve the real problem of "will I have enough money left at the end of the month?"

Our Approach

• Cash Flow Forecasting: AI-powered predictions based on historical spending patterns
• Forward-Looking: Focus on future financial health vs. past analysis
• Voice-First: Hands-free expense logging and conversational financial insights
• Privacy-Focused: Manual data entry gives users full control over their financial data
• Minimal & Focused: Essential features without bloat

Target Users

• People frustrated with traditional budgeting apps
• Those seeking forward-looking financial insights
• Users who value privacy and data control
• Individuals wanting hands-free expense tracking

Competitive Advantages

• Cash flow forecasting is rare in consumer finance apps
• Voice-first interaction for accessibility and convenience
• Privacy-focused manual entry approach
• Minimal, focused feature set vs. bloated competitors

🚀 Features

Core Functionality

• Cash Flow Tracking: Record income and expenses with categories
• Auto-Save Editing: Click any cell to edit inline with automatic saving
• Forward-Looking Insights: Focus on cash flow forecasting vs. past spending analysis
• Category Management: Organize transactions by type and purpose
• Data Export: Export financial data in multiple formats

🛠️ Technology Stack

• Backend: Flask 3.0.0, Python 3.6+
• Database: SQLite with SQLAlchemy ORM
• Frontend: HTML5, CSS3, JavaScript
• Dependencies: Flask-SQLAlchemy, python-dotenv

📁 Project Structure

MoneyPal/
├── app.py                 # Main Flask application
├── models.py             # Database models (CashFlow)
├── requirements.txt      # Python dependencies
├── seed_sample_data.py   # Sample data generator
├── templates/            # HTML templates
│   ├── dashboard.html   # Financial dashboard
│   └── cashflow.html    # Cash flow management
└── project_files_overview.txt # Project documentation

🚀 Quick Start

Prerequisites

• Python 3.6 or higher
• pip package manager

Installation

1. Clone the repository

   git clone https://github.com/SamStamport/MoneyPal.git
   cd MoneyPal

2. Install dependencies and run

   pip install -r requirements.txt
   python app.py

   Then visit: http://localhost:5000

📊 Usage

Cash Flow Management

• Add income and expense entries with Enter key
• Inline Editing: Click any cell (date, amount, description, category, notes) to edit
• Auto-Save: Changes save automatically when you click away
• Visual Feedback: See saving status with color-coded indicators
• Error Handling: Automatic retry on network errors with visual feedback
• Data Validation: Real-time validation for dates and amounts
• Categorize transactions
• View financial dashboard with monthly summaries
• Export data to CSV format

🔧 Configuration

Environment Variables

Create a .env file in the project root:

FLASK_ENV=development
SECRET_KEY=your-secret-key-here
DATABASE_URL=sqlite:///cashflow.db

Database

The application uses SQLite and stores data in C:\Users\[username]\Documents\MoneyPal\cashflow.db. The database will be created automatically on first run.

📈 Roadmap

Phase 1: Core Features ✅

• Basic Flask application structure
• Database models and setup
• CSV export functionality
• Sample data generation

Phase 2: Financial Features ✅

• Complete cash flow CRUD operations
• Inline editing with auto-save functionality
• Visual feedback and error handling
• Data validation and currency formatting
• Financial dashboard and reporting
• Category management

Phase 3: AI-Powered Features 📋

• AI Cash Flow Prediction: Historical data analysis for future forecasting
• Voice Input: Speech recognition for hands-free expense logging
• Receipt Photo Capture: AI parsing of receipt images
• Smart Alerts: Upcoming low balance period notifications
• Conversational Interface: Voice queries for cash flow insights
• Recurring Bills Integration: Predictable expense automation

Phase 4: Advanced Features 📋

• Data visualization charts
• Goal tracking
• User authentication
• Mobile PWA optimization

🤝 Contributing

1. Fork the repository
2. Create a feature branch (git checkout -b feature/amazing-feature)
3. Commit your changes (git commit -m 'Add amazing feature')
4. Push to the branch (git push origin feature/amazing-feature)
5. Open a Pull Request

📝 License

This project is licensed under the MIT License - see the LICENSE file for details.

🆘 Support

• Issues: Report bugs and feature requests on GitHub
• Documentation: Check the project_files_overview.txt for detailed file descriptions
• Questions: Open a discussion on GitHub

🔄 Changelog

See CHANGELOG.md for a detailed history of changes and updates.

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MoneyPal - Take control of your finances, one transaction at a time.