Find the question people actually ask
At the checkout, nobody wants a chart. The question is simpler: how much can I still spend before the end of this period? Finemy was designed to answer that first, and everything else in the product is arranged around it.
Put the answer first on the screen
The main screen leads with the amount still available in the current period, with a bar showing how much has been spent. When less than 20% of the budget is left, the counter changes colour as an early warning.
Statistics by category and a CSV export are there for people who want them. They come second, one step away from the main screen.
Let the period follow real life
A budget can run for a week, two weeks, a month or custom dates, and a month can start on payday rather than on the 1st. That way “what’s left” means what is left until the money comes in again.
Accept what the decision costs
Expenses are logged by hand. That is deliberate: there is no bank connection, so nobody has to share account access, and typing in a purchase means actually noticing it. The cost is a few seconds per expense, which is why adding one is just a tap, an amount and a category, with a description optional.
What we take from it
Before designing screens, write down the one question the product must answer instantly, and give that answer the most prominent place. Everything else can be one step further away.