Best budget app for couples. Works for singles too. Try here.
Why budget planning?
Money influence happiness. People who have a sense of control over their life are happier. Financial cushion allows you to have more choices how to live your life.
Budget in the app you both already use
Within Means 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.
Use a group chat with your partner and within means so that you both are aware of your plans and spendings.
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.
Have some privacy
Use a different chat for money you allocated just for you. Be it subscriptions, flowers and tiny surprises for your partner, or anything that is only your business. Pocket money are good for mental health.
me
/create_account
Within Means
Please enter currency and name. Example: USD Savings
me
EUR Pocket
Within Means
Updated. Your balance is €0.00.
me
+500
me
20
me
50 flowers
me
17 subscriptions
me
/balance
Within Means
Your balance is €413.00.
Go on a trip with friends
You got it. Another chat, another plan. In the end you'll see who spent how much and could redistribute money so that you are even.
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
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
Plan your budget together
Switch to planning mode and both add what you remember you're going to spend money on. Or check one after another that nothing is forgotten. Holidays, for one, feel much nicer when money stress is not involved.
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
/update_account - Update 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
/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