In today's digital landscape, it seems that a multitude of finance-related applications flood the App Store on a daily basis. While some of these apps concentrate on budgeting, others focus on maximizing credit card rewards, investing, or attempting to encompass all these features. Amidst this sea of options, I recently stumbled upon an intriguing tweet from a user expressing a desire for a finance app that could track just three fundamental aspects: their spending for today, this week, and this month. The concept was remarkably straightforward yet undeniably valuable. Much to my surprise, I later discovered that a developer named Steven Zhang had swiftly turned this idea into reality, constructing the app in a mere two hours.

Enter the Big Numbers app.

This app remains true to its minimalistic design and purpose, emphasizing simplicity and utility. Upon launching the app, users are greeted with an intuitive interface that allows for a quick overview of their expenditures over the past day, week, and month. Personally, I pride myself on being diligent with my personal finances, utilizing a variety of automated tracking applications while also maintaining a Google Sheet where I manually record every transaction. This system enables me to have an immediate reference point to ensure that my spending aligns with my budget. With the introduction of Big Numbers, I anticipate that it will effectively replace my manual tracking method.

The primary focus of this app is on simplicity and providing genuine value to its users. The setup process is straightforward:

  • When you first open the app, it prompts you to connect a credit or debit card.
  • You then log into your card account.
  • The dashboard subsequently populates with your spending data.
  • And that's it!

As displayed in the app's interface, users can view three key metrics: their daily, weekly, and monthly spending figures. Tapping on each metric reveals a detailed breakdown of individual transactions, adding an extra layer of insight. The only additional options available are located in the settings menu, where users can enable FaceID for enhanced security, remove their account, and adjust their time period calculations between rolling or fixed. Personally, I prefer the fixed option, as it provides clarity on my monthly expenses. A significant advantage of this app is that it accounts for pending credit card transactions, a feature that many competing apps overlook!

In my discussions with the developers, several noteworthy points emerged. Currently, the app is in the TestFlight phase but is expected to be publicly available soon, within just a few days. At the moment, the app can only track one credit or debit card, but there are plans for an update that will allow users to add multiple cards and accounts, giving them a comprehensive view of their overall spending. Additionally, a future update is set to introduce a widget feature, which I personally find very exciting. For those who are eager to try the app, I recommend joining the waitlist to stay informed about its release.

I genuinely believe this app represents a fantastic solution for anyone looking to monitor their spending in a straightforward manner. Many individuals have a rough mental estimate of their monthly income, but keeping track of expenditures can often become challenging. For instance, if you know your monthly income is $2,000 and Big Numbers indicates that you've spent $1,500, you can quickly ascertain that you've saved $500. This immediate insight is valuable enough for me to consider Big Numbers an essential addition to my finance app collection.

What do you think? Would you consider using this app? Is it worth a price tag? Let's engage in a discussion in the comments below! Don't forget to follow Steven Zhang for real-time progress updates, as I certainly will!