I'm not a great budgeter. I'm an avoider. I'll happily distract myself from the essential logistics of my life and rationalize it later. Like this app. I've spent countless hours tuning the interface for other people to look at their budgets. But when I pull up my own, there's a part of me that recoils.
It's exhilarating to experience the daily utility of something I've built. But to see my own finances laid bare is uncomfortable. I don't like seeing how much I spent on groceries. I don't like seeing that drink I bought that cost nine dollars. The light, it burns.
I built Fincapy to be as shame-free as possible so that I can look at my money and let the numbers speak for themselves. The good news is that I only have to look at them every once in a while. I'm not someone who runs their spreadsheets every weekend and keeps a tight rein on everything. God bless those people, I'm glad they're out there.
For instance, I've found recently that I spend a lot of money on Amazon. On what? On… Amazon stuff. I don't know. What, you expect me to track all of it? Who has time for that? Turns out I need an Amazon category. If I spend a certain amount on Amazon every month, that's all right with me. But go above that too often, and things get dicey.
Thankfully, I'm blessed enough that if I make a mistake with my money in the short term, it won't affect me too badly in the long term. I have time to learn and grow with my finances. I know that the daily practice of humility is what counts. But it's also the daily practice of joy. I love my coffee in the morning. I'm not going to stop buying it. I love walking for ice cream with my wife. Not going to stop that either.
I built the app because I wanted something that would force me to engage with my finances just enough so that I could grow with them. All it has to do is keep me on the right track. Overspending by a few dollars? Acceptable. Overspending by a few hundred dollars? Well, there might be something I need to address.
I'm not a great budgeter, but I suspect that some of you aren't either. This is a safe place for you. I want this to be a community of people dedicated to growing with their money together. I hope that Fincapy will support you on your journey to live with your money, not fight it.