Pocket Wise

My first experience with tracking finances was through apps that needed my bank login (like Mint). They worked, but I never felt comfortable sharing my credentials. Over time, the automation made me more detached from my spending rather than mindful of it. Later, I stumbled upon double-entry accounting. At first it looked intimidating, but once I understood it, it completely changed how I saw money flow. It made me more aware and even led to habit change. This later became PocketWise - a lightweight personal finance tracker that respects your privacy (no bank linking), makes data entry fast and natural (just type or speak “Lunch $12 at Chipotle using Citi card”), and exports cleanly in ledger format for transparency or advanced use. I’ve been using it daily — usually just dictating entries right after a purchase — and reviewing reports once a week. It’s made me more conscious of how and why I spend. Over time, the project evolved from a personal script into a small, user-friendly app. Now I’m sharing it here. Feedback is very welcome!