Personal Project • 2024
Giving myself an allowance
Budgeting apps made me feel like a failure
I tried every budgeting app out there - Mint, YNAB, Copilot, you name it. They all wanted me to categorize every transaction, set up complex budgets, and feel guilty when I spent $7 on coffee. The problem wasn't my spending habits; it was that these apps made personal finance feel like a second job.
One day, I had a realization: I don't actually care if I spent $200 on dining out last month. What I really want to know is simple - can I afford to grab lunch with a friend today without derailing my finances? That question sparked Adult Allowance.
What if budgeting was as simple as checking one number each morning?
Personal Finance Budgeting App with Daily Allowance System
A web application that simplifies money management through a 'daily allowance' approach. Instead of complex expense categorization, it focuses on one key metric: how much you can spend today.
Daily Budget Calculation
Income minus fixed costs minus savings, divided by days in month
Expense Tracking
Real-time budget updates with spending health monitoring
No Backend Required
Pure client-side with all data in localStorage
Built with modern web technologies
Framework
Next.js, React 19, TypeScript
UI
shadcn/ui, Tailwind CSS
State
Zustand store with localStorage persistence and cross-tab sync
Where Adult Allowance is heading
The core concept works beautifully for me, but I see opportunities to help more people escape budgeting anxiety.
Rollover Logic
Didn't spend your full allowance yesterday? It should carry forward. Underspending today means a little extra tomorrow.
Spending Streaks
Gamification that celebrates staying under budget without making you feel guilty for the occasional splurge.
Partner Sync
Shared allowances for couples who want visibility without the awkwardness of joint accounts.
The goal isn't to build another feature-bloated finance app. It's to keep that core simplicity while making the daily allowance concept work for more life situations.