Expense Tracking Systems
Students create custom tracking tools that categorize spending patterns. They learn how to identify cost trends and build frameworks for monitoring monthly financial activity.
Budget Allocation Models
These projects focus on distributing income across categories like savings, necessities, and discretionary spending using percentage-based methods that adjust to different income levels.
Savings Goal Planners
Students design calculators that break down larger financial targets into achievable monthly contributions, accounting for variables like interest rates and timeline flexibility.
Cash Flow Visualizers
Projects that map income and expenses over time, helping users spot patterns in their financial behavior and identify opportunities for better resource management.
How Projects Develop Over Time
Students typically spend eight to ten months moving from basic spreadsheets to more sophisticated financial planning tools. Here's how that progression tends to look.
Months 1-2
Foundation Work
Students start with simple income and expense tracking. They're mostly learning how to organize financial data and understanding basic categorization systems. The work is straightforward but teaches essential habits.
Months 3-4
Adding Complexity
Projects expand to include multiple accounts and recurring expenses. Students work on automating calculations and building templates that can handle different financial situations without starting from scratch each time.
Months 5-7
Integration Phase
This is where things get interesting. Students combine their tracking tools with planning features, creating systems that not only record what happened but also project future scenarios based on current patterns.
Months 8-10
Final Projects
By this stage, students build comprehensive systems tailored to specific needs. Some focus on household budgeting, others on small business cash flow. The projects reflect individual interests and practical application goals.
Multi-Account Budget Coordinator
This project was built by someone managing three income sources and multiple savings goals. The system tracks everything in one place while maintaining separate views for different financial priorities.
- Handles income from different sources with varying schedules
- Automatically distributes funds according to preset allocation rules
- Provides monthly summaries and identifies spending pattern changes
- Includes scenario planning for major purchases or income changes
Student Experiences
People come to this program with different backgrounds and goals. Here are two who completed projects in 2024 and what they took away from the experience.
Daehan Myeong
Completed October 2024
Daehan built a system for tracking project-based income. His freelance work meant irregular payments, and he needed a way to plan expenses around unpredictable cash flow. The project taught him how to smooth out monthly budgets despite income variability.
Willem Cordsen
Completed December 2024
Willem created a household budget system that his entire family could understand and use. He focused on making financial information accessible to people who found traditional spreadsheets overwhelming. The visual approach made monthly reviews much more productive.