See what this month will land at
Knowing what you spent last month is history. The useful question is what this month is going to come to, and whether the next six look manageable.
GreenBug answers it from two things it already knows: your repeating bills on their real due dates, and the rate you have been spending day to day. That gives a figure for where this month ends up, split into what you have already spent, what is still due, and what your normal spending will add before the month is out.
Free account, 7 days free, no card needed
Making an account is free and takes an email address. Every new account starts with 7 days free, and you are never asked for a card to begin. GreenBug.ai is in a beta test period right now, so there is nothing to pay while the beta is running.
Create your free accountLook around first, no accountSet up in a couple of minutes from a phone or a laptop. No card, nothing to install.
How it works
1. Build up a few weeks
About three weeks of spending is enough to say something useful.
2. Repeating bills are counted
On their actual due dates, not spread evenly.
3. Day-to-day is averaged
Your recent rate is carried forward across the days left.
4. Six months are laid out
Each month split into repeating costs and day-to-day.
What you get
- Where this month is heading, and how it compares to last month
- Split into spent so far, still due, and still to come
- Six months ahead, month by month
- A year-at-this-rate figure, with the repeating part called out
- Says so plainly when there is not enough history yet, instead of guessing
On your own, or together
Track your own money and nobody else sees a thing. Or bring in a partner, a housemate or family and share the costs you want to share, while anything marked personal stays yours alone. Both work the same way, and you can switch at any point.
The rest of it
Everything below is part of the same account, at no extra cost.
Receipt scanning
Photograph a receipt and the store, date, amount and category fill themselves in. Do a whole pile at once.
Bank and card import
Drop in the CSV or OFX your bank already lets you download. Names tidied, categories guessed, read on your own device.
Recurring expenses
Every cost that comes back, what it really costs a month, and what is due in the next two weeks.
Subscription tracker
Every subscription in one list with a yearly figure next to it, and a flag when one puts its price up.
Double charge checker
The same amount at the same place twice in a few days gets put in front of you while you can still fix it.
Questions people ask
How much history does it need?
About three weeks and a handful of expenses. Below that it says so rather than putting a number on the screen it cannot stand behind.
Is this a budget?
No. A budget is a number you choose. This is a projection of where your own spending is already heading if nothing changes.
Can I make it more accurate quickly?
Bring in a few months of bank statements. The forecast gets much sharper the moment it has real history behind it.
Is there a free expense tracker for anyone?
Yes. A GreenBug.ai account is free to make, and every new account starts with a 7-day trial. The app is in a beta test period, so there is nothing to pay while the beta runs.
Can I bring in my bank transactions?
Yes. Download the CSV or OFX file your bank or card already offers and drop it in. The file is read on your own device, names are tidied up, categories are guessed, and anything you already logged is spotted so nothing counts twice.
Do I have to type every receipt in by hand?
No. Take a photo, or pick a pile of photos from your camera roll, and the store, date, amount and category get filled in. You glance at it and save.
Does it find my subscriptions and repeating bills?
Yes. Once the same place shows up three times at about the same price it becomes a repeating cost, with what it really costs a month and when it is due next. Steady ones are marked as subscriptions, and you are told when one puts its price up.
Will it tell me if I get charged twice?
Yes. The same amount at the same place within a few days is flagged. Everyday places you use all the time are left out, so the list stays worth reading.
Can it tell me what this month will cost?
Yes. Once there are about three weeks of spending behind it, the forecast shows where this month is heading and lays out the next six months from your real bills and your usual day-to-day rate.
Can I use it on my own?
Yes. Most people do. You can also share with a partner, a housemate or family, and anything marked personal stays visible only to you.
Can I get my expenses out as a spreadsheet?
Yes. Settings has a Download Spreadsheet button that gives you every expense in a file Excel and Google Sheets both open.
Does it work on a phone?
Yes. It runs in the phone browser, and Settings has a button that puts a GreenBug.ai shortcut on your home screen so it opens like an app.
Who can see my records?
Only you, and anyone you deliberately share with. Records are locked to one account inside the database itself, and they are never sold, rented or shared with advertisers.