Managing personal finances is a goal many of us set each year. On special occasions like birthdays, anniversaries, or New Year’s, we often reflect on the importance of staying financially organized. However, finding time to maintain an Excel or Google Sheets spreadsheet can be challenging, and establishing a consistent habit of personal accounting may feel as difficult as preparing for a marathon.

There are numerous personal finance apps on the market, such as MoneyWiz and CashTrails, which allow you to record payments and track expenses easily. Some options even offer creative alternatives, like Kodito, which lets you record payments through WhatsApp chat and view them on a web platform.

I personally tried several of these applications but found that most lacked the customization I wanted. I needed a tool that could:

• Create personalized budgets
• Record payments with image capture
• Integrate data directly into a spreadsheet without requiring manual export or import

So, I decided to develop my own finance tracking app using AppSheet, which allows me to use a spreadsheet as a database and record payments directly from my phone without needing to download additional apps.

Step 1: How to Create a Personal Finance App in AppSheet

Set Budgets

The first step was to review my expenses over the past three months to establish a comprehensive budget. I divided my expenses into two main categories:

• Fixed Expenses: unavoidable costs, such as rent and internet services
• Variable Expenses: based on spending types, like:
• Food
• Home
• Personal care
• Pet
• Savings
• Investment

Additionally, I created subcategories for certain expenses. For instance, within the food category, I outlined the following:

• Groceries: Supermarket expenses
• Snacks: Small, incidental purchases, like snacks or drinks
• Prepared Meals: Dining out expenses, whether for a quick pizza or a lunch out during a busy week

With this structured budget and a sustainable savings plan in place, I was ready to start building the app.

Create the Spreadsheet / Database

To set up, I created a Google Sheets spreadsheet with the first row reserved for the field titles. Key fields I included were:

• ID: A unique identifier for each expense
• Name: Name of the expense, such as “Grocery Purchase”
• Amount: Cost of the expense in the preferred currency
• Payment Method: Useful for sorting expenses by payment type at the end of the month
• Description: Optional details, like “Barbecue supplies”
• Date: Date of the expense
• Photo: Allows an image of the invoice or receipt

User: For shared app usage, this field records who made the expense

Step 2: Setting Up the Spreadsheet in AppSheet

To link the spreadsheet to AppSheet, you can use one of two methods:

1. Go to Appsheet.com and connect your Google Sheets file
2. From Google Sheets itself, go to “Extensions” and select the AppSheet option

Once connected, AppSheet automatically recognizes the titles in the first row as field headers for the app’s database. It’s important to configure each field’s data type properly. For example:

• Date: Set the initial value to TODAY() so it auto-fills with the current date
• User: Set the initial value to USEREMAIL() to automatically capture the user’s email

Step 3: Setting Up Views in AppSheet

AppSheet automatically generates views based on your database. Here are the primary views configured:

Form View

This view lets you enter data for a new expense, such as amount, payment method, and description. You can adjust the visibility and order of fields within the form.

Detail View

Displays all details of a specific expense, allowing you to review each entry comprehensively with all relevant data.

Records View

Shows all expense records in a list or card format. You can choose the list view to see expenses sequentially or use the Card style to display each entry as an individual card, with options for photos, titles, and quick details.

Step 4: Evaluating Results in AppSheet or Google Sheets

Once you begin logging expenses, all data is stored and accessible in both AppSheet and Google Sheets. For visualizing the results in graphs or charts, you have two options:

• Chart View in AppSheet: Set up charts directly within the app for an intuitive, visual financial overview.
• Charts in Google Sheets: If you prefer Google Sheets, create additional sheets with summary formulas to track spending by category, subcategory, or time. Then, use Google Sheets’ chart tools to visualize these summaries for a weekly or monthly review.

How Much Does It Cost to Make a Personal Finance App in AppSheet?

The great news is that creating an app with AppSheet is completely free. Your primary investment is the time spent creating and updating your records, so you can avoid the costs of a subscription.

However, AppSheet also offers a premium version that includes machine learning capabilities for advanced features, such as reading photos to extract and input data from receipts automatically.

If you’re interested in learning more about using AppSheet, Google Sheets, or even Google AppScript to further automate and enhance your personal finance management, feel free to connect with me on LinkedIn or reach out via email.