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Build a self-hosted family finance app in 9 days with Claude Code
WorkedEvidence: Screenshots or logsPosted Last checked
Rodion used Codex and then Claude Code to build a self-hosted family finance app in nine days with 446 prompts.
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Build a self-hosted app for my family's finances. It should pull transactions from our banks through open banking, work out what we actually spent (not transfers between our own accounts), classify each transaction, ask me in Telegram when it's unsure, and show all our assets in one currency.
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Before you start, ask me 1–3 short questions about the details below and wait for my answers. Once I've answered, confirm the plan in one line and run the whole task start to finish. Goal: Build a small self-hosted app that tracks my family's real spending across banks, in steps I can review. Questions to ask me first: - Which banks and countries, and do they offer open banking for personal accounts? - What counts as spending for you, and what should be left out? - Where will it run, and how should it ask you questions? Inputs (fill in or confirm): - Banks and access method: [BANKS / API] - Spending rules: [RULES] - Hosting: [SERVER] - Where to ask me: [CHAT APP] Rules: - Start with one bank and get it working end to end before adding others. - Keep bank credentials out of the code and logs. - Write tests for the classification rules, and show me a sample of results. - Tell me early if a bank's access doesn't work for ordinary accounts. Checkpoint: After the first bank imports, show me 20 classified transactions to check before you continue. If you get stuck: If an API blocks you, explain what's needed instead of working around it. Verify before you finish: Run the tests and compare one month's totals with the bank statement. Output: A running app, a setup guide and a list of what works and what doesn't. Done when: One month's spending in the app matches my statements.
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Outcome
Rodion was tired of a monthly evening in Excel pulling together the family's accounts across several banks and countries. Over nine calendar days, using Codex for two days and then Claude Code, Rodion built a self-hosted app that pulls bank transactions, works out what the family actually spent, classifies it, asks in Telegram when unsure and tracks all assets in one currency. It took 446 prompts with a median length of 26 words, on a $100/month subscription also used for other things. Most of the other Ukrainian banks didn't work in practice. Two months later, Rodion and Rodion's wife still use it every day.
Evidence: Screenshots or logsThe source shows screenshots, a transcript or the AI's output.
Source
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- by Rodion (DEV Community)
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- Method:
- How we verify
Context: The project is open source, and Rodion says all numbers come from the logs and from git.
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