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The simplest budget tracker for everyone — no signup, no internet, just you and your money. Senior-friendly, offline, 100% private.

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SimpleBudget 📊

The simplest budget tracker for everyone — no signup, no internet, just you and your money.

SimpleBudget is a completely offline, private budget tracker that lives in a single HTML file. It's designed for everyone: busy parents, seniors, students, or anyone who wants to track their money without complexity, accounts, or privacy concerns.

Why SimpleBudget?

In a world of complex financial apps that require bank connections, accounts, and subscriptions, SimpleBudget is different:

  • 📱 Works anywhere — Any web browser, any device, even offline
  • 🔒 100% private — Your data never leaves your device
  • 🚫 No signup — No account, no email, no password to remember
  • 👴 Senior-friendly — Large buttons, clear text, simple interface
  • 💾 Local storage — Auto-saves to your browser
  • 📥 Easy backup — Export your data anytime
  • 🆓 Forever free — No subscriptions, no ads, no limits

Perfect For

  • 👵 Seniors who want simple money tracking
  • 👨‍👩‍👧 Families managing household budgets
  • 🎓 Students tracking expenses
  • 💼 Anyone who values privacy over convenience
  • 🌍 People with limited internet access
  • ♿ Accessibility-first design

Features

Feature Description
📥 Income Tracking Record money coming in (salary, pensions, gifts)
📤 Expense Tracking Track money going out (bills, groceries, rent)
💵 Balance Overview See your financial health at a glance
🏷️ Categories Organize by food, rent, utilities, etc.
📊 Recent History View your last 20 transactions
💾 Auto-Save Data saves automatically to browser
📥 Export Backup Download your data as JSON file
🌐 Offline Mode Works without internet connection
🔒 Privacy First No data ever leaves your device

How to Use

1. Get Started (30 seconds)

Simply open index.html in any web browser:

  • Windows: Right-click index.html → "Open with" → Choose browser
  • Mac: Double-click index.html
  • Phone/Tablet: Send file to device and open
  • Chromebook: Click index.html file

That's it! No installation, no signup, no setup.

2. Add Your First Transaction

  1. Click the "Add Money" tab
  2. Enter the amount (e.g., 50.00)
  3. Add a description (e.g., "Groceries")
  4. Choose type: Expense (going out) or Income (coming in)
  5. Select a category (optional, but helpful!)
  6. Click "+ Add Transaction"

Your data is saved automatically!

3. Understand Your Budget

The Dashboard shows three key numbers:

Card What It Means
📥 Income Total money you received
📤 Expenses Total money you spent
💵 Balance Income minus Expenses (what you have left)

4. Delete Transactions

From the Dashboard:

  • Scroll to the transaction
  • Click the "Delete" button
  • Confirm when asked

5. Backup Your Data

To save your budget data:

  1. On the Dashboard, click "📥 Export Data"
  2. A file downloads: simplebudget_backup_YYYY-MM-DD.json
  3. Save this file somewhere safe (computer, USB drive, cloud storage)

Why backup?

  • If you clear your browser data, your budget disappears
  • Transfer to a new device
  • Share with family members

6. Clear All Data

To start fresh:

  1. Click "🗑️ Clear All Data"
  2. Confirm you want to delete everything
  3. All transactions will be permanently deleted

⚠️ Warning: This cannot be undone!

Common Categories

Here are popular categories to use:

Category Examples
🏠 Rent / Housing Rent, mortgage, home insurance
🍎 Groceries / Food Weekly shopping, dining out
⚡ Utilities / Bills Electricity, water, internet, gas
🚗 Transportation Gas, bus fare, car maintenance
💊 Health / Medicine Prescriptions, doctor visits
🎉 Entertainment Movies, subscriptions, hobbies
👕 Shopping / Clothing New clothes, personal items
📱 Phone / Internet Phone bill, mobile data
🎁 Gifts Birthday presents, holiday gifts
🏦 Loan / Debt Payments Credit card payments, loan installments

FAQ

Is my data safe?

Yes! Your data is stored in your browser's local storage. It never goes to any server. No one can access it except you.

Do I need internet?

No! SimpleBudget works completely offline. You can track expenses even without an internet connection.

What if I lose my data?

If you clear your browser's data, your budget will be deleted. Always export your data regularly as a backup.

Can I use this on my phone?

Yes! Just send the index.html file to your phone and open it in any browser (Chrome, Safari, Firefox).

Can I share this with family?

Yes! You can:

  • Share the index.html file with them
  • Export your data and share the backup file
  • Each person has their own private budget

How many transactions can I add?

There's no limit! Add as many as you want.

Will this work on old computers?

Yes! It works in any modern browser. Even on older devices with slow internet.

Can I edit a transaction?

Currently, you can only delete and re-add. We're working on an edit feature!

What happens if I close the browser?

Your data is automatically saved and will be there when you open SimpleBudget again.

Is this really free?

Forever free, no ads, no tracking, no catch. It's open source software.

Tips for Success

  1. Add transactions as they happen — Don't wait until the end of the month
  2. Use consistent categories — Helps you see spending patterns
  3. Check your dashboard weekly — Stay on top of your finances
  4. Export data monthly — Regular backups prevent data loss
  5. Share with family — Help each other stay accountable

Troubleshooting

"My transactions disappeared!"

Most likely, your browser's local storage was cleared. This happens when:

  • You cleared your browser cache
  • You used private/incognito mode
  • Your browser settings auto-clear data

Solution: Always export your data regularly as backup!

"The file won't open!"

Make sure you're using a modern web browser:

  • Chrome (any version)
  • Firefox (any version)
  • Safari (any version)
  • Edge (any version)

Not supported: Very old browsers (IE 11 or earlier)

"I can't add transactions!"

Check:

  • Did you enter a valid amount? (e.g., 50.00, not "fifty")
  • Did you add a description?
  • Is the amount positive? (No negative numbers)

Technical Details

  • File size: ~20 KB (tiny!)
  • Dependencies: None (just browser built-ins)
  • Storage: Browser localStorage (up to 5-10 MB)
  • Works on: Desktop, mobile, tablet
  • Privacy: Zero data leaves your device
  • License: MIT (free for everyone, forever)

For Developers

SimpleBudget is open source! Feel free to:

  • Fork and customize
  • Add new features
  • Fix bugs
  • Translate to other languages
  • Share with your community

View the source code: It's all in one HTML file with inline CSS and JavaScript. Clean, readable, well-commented.

Contributing

We welcome contributions from everyone, especially:

  • Accessibility improvements
  • New language translations
  • Bug fixes
  • Feature requests from non-technical users

Open an issue or submit a pull request!

License

MIT License — Use it, share it, modify it. Free forever.

About

SimpleBudget was created to solve a simple problem: tracking money shouldn't require accounts, internet, or a degree in finance.

Built for everyone — from tech-savvy teens to grandparents who've never touched a smartphone.


Start tracking your money simply today.

SimpleBudget — Private, simple, yours.

💡 Pro tip: Bookmark this page or save the index.html file to your desktop for quick access!

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The simplest budget tracker for everyone — no signup, no internet, just you and your money. Senior-friendly, offline, 100% private.

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