tough cents

$ a behavior-driven financial accountability tool

01.

Overview

Tough Cents is a database-driven mobile application that uses "tough love" and behavioral psychology to foster financial discipline. Unlike passive budgeting apps, it actively intervenes with humor and sharp commentary to discourage poor spending habits and create genuine accountability. Because adults need discipline too.

Technologies Used

  • Frontend: Next.js, Node.js
  • Backend: Flask, PostgreSQL
  • AI: Ollama for feedback generation, Google Gemini for receipt scanning
  • Features: Real-time spending tracking, gamification, push notifications
02.

The Product

Tough Cents is a web app that helps people stop making bad financial decisions by calling them out on it.

Users can scan receipts with their phone camera, and Google Gemini reads the receipt to pull out what they bought and how much they spent. Then Ollama AI generates a funny and maybe harsh comment about the purchase based on their spending history.

Alongside the receipts scanning feature, there also exists the option to link a bank to get direct transaction data for more comprehensive tracking and feedback.

Tough Cents Screenshot
Tough Cents Wireframe Tough Cents Wireframe
03.

Takeaways

This project was a very valuable experience that taught me a lot about full-stack development. In particular, I learned a ton about databases and how important their design is. I learned even more about how they can be used and utilized.

Some key takeaways include:

  • Designing a complex database with 14+ connected tables
  • Using AI models (Ollama and Google Gemini) for different purposes
  • Building a full-stack app with Next.js, Flask, and PostgreSQL