Within Means

App you already use

Within Means tries to get out of your way on tracking spendings as much as possible. It works as a Telegram bot so that you have a familiar interface on every platform. It provides sane defaults so often you only need to send it the amount spent. As easy as clicking /start.

me /start

Within Means This is an app to help you with your budget. Click /help for a list of commands.

Within Means Let's create you an account for a start. Please enter a currency and name.
Example: USD Savings

me EUR Main

Within Means Updated. Your balance is €0.00.

me +2000

me 20

me 600 rent

me /balance

Within Means Your balance is €1 380.00.

Multiple Currencies

Whether you're on a trip or generally use more than one currency, Within Means got you covered. Create and close as many accounts as you want, permanent and disposable.

me /create_account

Within Means Please enter currency and name. Example: USD Savings

me AED Trip

Within Means Updated. Here is your new balance:

Main* €1 380.00 Trip AED0.00

me +4000 AED

me 1200 AED Hotel

me /balance

Within Means Here is your balance:

Main* €1 380.00 Trip AED2 800.00

Automatic Categories

Add comments to your expenses, Within Means will categorize them automatically. Ease of use over configurability.

me 40 gym

me /stat

Within Means Here is your balance:

Main* €1 340.00 Trip AED2 800.00

Within Means Here is how you spend money:
Hotel AED1 200.00 Rent €600.00 Gym €40.00 No category €20.00

Group Chats

Use Within Means to keep your family budget or plan a trip with friends.

Add @within_means_bot to a chat, plan and record your expenses together. Within Means will show money spent per category and per person. Only one person in a chat needs to have a subscription. Use as many chats as you need.

Try adding to a group here.

service You created the group Trip

me 87.75 * 4 House

me 220 Car

service You invited Elena

Elena 280 Flight

me 50 food

Elena 60 Fuel

Elena 80 food

me 10 food

Elena /stat

Within Means Your balance is -€1 051.00.

Within Means Here is how you spend money:
House €351.00 Flight €280.00 Car €220.00 Food €140.00 Fuel €60.00

By person:
@my_username €631.00 @elena_username €420.00

Planning mode

Plan your income and expenses here too. When you use the plan, statistics will compare actual expenses to the plan.

Assigning every dollar only scratches your anxiety. Let some of your money lay unassigned. Within Means tracks how much is spent unplanned so you know you're still comfortable with your finances.

me /plan

Within Means Please choose a plan or enter a name for a new one

me May 2024

Within Means You have entered planning mode. All the usual commands still work, but the result is stored separately as planned. Later, your plans can be compared to the reality.
/normal to return to normal mode.

me 600 rent

me 800 food

me 50 USD subscriptions

me 150 health

me /normal

Within Means You are back in normal mode.

me /start_financial_period

me 580 rent

me /stat

Within Means Your balance is €1 420.00.

Within Means Here is how you spend money:
Category Plan Fact Rent €600 €580 Food €800 0 Health €150 0 Subscriptions $50 0

See what's overbudget

A leaky budget is rarely leaky because of a single category. It's usually a death by a thousand papercuts. Within means is to help you identify and calibrate your expectations about every one of them. Use it as a starting point to a dialog how to correct your plans or spendings.

me 580 rent

me 80 birthday gift

me $30 pets

me 100 health

me 260 cosmetics

me 40 health

me $40 pets

me 100 health

me /overbudget

Within Means Here is money you spent that is overbudget:
Health €150.00 Cosmetics €120.00 Birthday gift €80.00 Pets $50.00

And so much more

Start with observation. Make use of Hawthorne Effect. Invent your own scenarios. Try here.

me /help

Within Means Quick commands:

20 USD food - Spend $20 on the category named Food
+200 - Record $200 of income.

Telegram commands:

/balance - Show balance
/stat - Show statistics
/stat_past - Show statistics for previous financial periods
/overbudget - Show overbudget statistics
/yet_to_spend - Show what's left to spend
/spend - Record expenses
/income - Record income
/create_account - Create account
/close_account - Close account
/set_default - Change default account. Useful on a trip
/set_default_for_currency - Set default account, but only for a currency
/set_default_category - Change default spending category
/set_balance - Update balance
/set_currency - Set currency for an account
/plan - Planning mode
/start_financial_period - Choose a plan and follow it
/normal - Normal mode (default)
/toggle_ignore - Ignore messages that are not commands. Respond with an error message by default.
/export - Export expenses data
/upgrade - Manage your subscription
/unsubscribe - Unsubscribe
/help - Show this message