BEST | Budget & Expense Smart Tracker

👋 Hi Product Hunt Fellow! I'm Xin, an indie developer.

Let me introduce you BEST – Budget & Expense Smart Tracker, a Notion-based finance tracker template that puts you in control of:

multi-currency, fully customizable charts, import/export via CSV, and Apple Shortcuts integration for instant logging.

🎯 Why I Built This

In January 2025, I officially started my indie development journey. During this time, I realized a few things:

• After quitting my job, my income became more diversified (and less stable) — thus I started caring more about every expense.

• My laptop is now used solely for personal dev work, which means my data stays local and fully customizable — no worries about data obfuscation or privacy.

When testing existing budget apps, I quickly ran into limitations and find that I also need:

• One-click CSV import/export → without extra fees or subscription

• Custom data visualizations → to focus on the metrics I care most

• Multi-currency support → as someone living abroad, currency flexibility is key

• Apple Shortcuts integration → I wanted to log from my phone without opening a full app (because it’s cool and efficient!)

• Weekly budget reminders → One weekend, my husband and I wanted to splurge on a nice dinner but weren’t sure how close we were to “weekly bankruptcy”. So we add a "weekly remaining" panel too. If there's room left, let’s enjoy ourselves on Sunday afternoon!

Since I couldn't find a tool that fit all of above, I decided to build one — using Notion, my all-time favorite productivity tool.
So I turned to Notion and there is BEST.

🛠️ What’s Inside the Template

Almost everything is automated beside budgets. I’ve attached a detailed docs explaining each database and properties on the Quick Start page (and yes I have intentionally designed minimal building blocks to deliver powerful flexibility, thus, you might find some delightful surprisingly long formulas while using it 🤓).

💼 Here is the basic databases with its function in the template:

• Category & Budget → Set monthly budgets & track progress

• Account → Record assets across multiple currencies

• Expense → Log daily spending

• Income → Track your income sources

Currency Ratio → Manage exchange rates and conversions

🌱 Last but not least

Give it a try — I hope you enjoy using the template and making it your own! I’d love to hear your thoughts, feedback, or just chat anytime 🙌