FinanceTracker

Inspiration

Managing personal finances is often confusing and time-consuming, especially for students and young professionals. Finance Tracker was inspired by the need for a simple, secure, and visual way to understand money flow and improve financial habits.

What it does

Finance Tracker allows users to track income, expenses, and overall balance in one place. It provides clear financial summaries that help users make informed budgeting decisions.

How we built it

The backend is built using Django and Django REST Framework to provide secure and scalable APIs. JWT authentication ensures user data protection, while MariaDB handles structured financial data. The frontend uses Next.js 16, TypeScript, and Tailwind CSS for a fast, responsive, and modern user experience. API communication is handled using Axios.

Challenges we ran into

Designing a secure authentication flow while keeping the user experience smooth was challenging. Another difficulty was ensuring accurate financial calculations while maintaining performance and data integrity.

Accomplishments that we're proud of

We successfully developed a full-stack application with secure authentication, clean UI, and reliable data handling. Building a scalable finance system using modern web technologies is a key achievement.

What we learned

We gained hands-on experience in full-stack development, REST API design, and secure authentication. We also learned how small UX improvements can make financial tools more approachable and effective.

Inline financial formula example:

Balance=Total Income−Total Expenses Balance=Total Income−Total Expenses

Displayed calculation:

Monthly Savings=∑Income−∑Expenses Monthly Savings=∑Income−∑Expenses What's next for finance tracker

Next, we plan to add advanced analytics, expense categorization, and visual dashboards. Future updates may include exportable reports, reminders, and multi-currency support