From idea to app: Why I built a savings tracker

In early 2022, as economic uncertainties loomed, a decision was made to diversify a modest savings portfolio. This journey led to the creation of a unique financial tracking app. Here, we delve into the story behind this innovative project, from its inception to its current state, and discuss the plans for its future evolution.

from idea to app

The Need for a Specialized App

This story began in early 2022 when, worried about the economy, we decided to diversify our modest savings. We bought gold, a bit of crypto, and stocked up on dollars, a Ukrainian tradition due to currency devaluation fears. Before diversifying, our money was in one account, but now, with changing asset values, we needed to track our savings for a specific purchase goal like buying a house. It's like having our own jar. A jar with money for a house.

For several days, I scoured the corners of the AppStore to find an app that could handle this kind of tracking. I found everything on earth, except what I needed. There were plenty of different trackers for crypto and stocks, but none for gold. Those that did track gold lacked the ability to specify the type and weight accurately.

The biggest problem was that all the trackers were focused on portfolios and investments, not on a specific goal. They had a lot of extraneous information like news, charts, distracting green and red arrows, lots of numbers and percentages, making it feel like I was some Wall Street investor rather than a regular person saving up for a house.

On the other hand, there were apps for tracking savings goals, but they all operated in a single currency, so I couldn't add either gold or crypto.

Three Ideal Features I was Looking for:

  1. Setting goals and tracking progress.
  2. Supporting various asset types (including gold bars or coins in grams or ounces).
  3. A simple, motivating interface (no ads).

Being someone who appreciates visuals, having a beautiful interface is crucial to me. I'd like each asset entry to be soothing and motivating, making me want to press that button over and over, hearing the sound of coins dropping into a glass jar. Ding. Ahhh.

I haven't found the app I was looking for. But you know, even before I started searching, I was already envisioning how I would create this app. In my imagination, I was already designing the screens of this app and hearing the sounds of falling coins. I was unstoppable.

The Creative Process

Creating a visually appealing jar illustration to represent savings was the first step.

The jar inspiration came from my favourite Ukrainian banking app (Monobank), but the intention was to make it unique and personal. After browsing through dozens of jar images online, I drew my own jar on paper and then started digitizing this drawing in Figma.

The Coin Conundrum

Creating illustrations for over 100 different coin variations seemed daunting. Drawing them individually on paper and digitizing them would lack uniformity and realism. Additionally, you'd need to grapple with the laws of geometry and gravity, considering how the coins interact with each other. It would also look somewhat crude unless you're an expert illustrator. This challenge led to the decision to craft 3D coin images using Blender, allowing for scalability and realism. Now I could easily add any number of coins and generate images for all possible levels of jar fill.

coins created in Blender

Streamlining Data Entry

Implementing user-friendly text fields for entering numbers involved extensive trial and error. Initially, I used SwiftUI's native components, then went back to complex UIKit customizations, and finally returned to SwiftUI, but this time, I created my own components. All this effort was to ensure that when a user opens the window to enter an amount, the keyboard is already in place, not popping up after a 0.5-second delay. I also needed to automate the formatting of the amount, including decimals if applicable.

Then there were more intricate steps involving UI design, architectural considerations, and testing, but that's a topic for another story.

Mission Accomplished

The app now fulfills its initial objectives, providing a user-friendly and motivating platform for tracking savings and diverse assets. The journey from concept to realization has been a rewarding one.

Looking Ahead

Future plans for the app include expanding currency options, potentially integrating stock market data, and introducing a Home Screen widget for convenience. Localization efforts are also in progress to make the app accessible to a broader audience.

You can download the app from AppStore