Hey, I'm Jay
Finance major · University of Alabama
I built College Budget Buddy because I was tired of budget apps that felt like they were designed for someone with a 401(k) and a mortgage — not a college student splitting rent three ways and trying to figure out if they can afford Chick-fil-A this week.
Every budgeting app I tried wanted me to create an account, link a bank, or give up my data in some way. I didn't want an app that knew more about my finances than I did. I just wanted something simple: tell it what I make, what school costs, and what I spend — and let it tell me if I'm doing okay.
So I built one. College Budget Buddy is a tool, not a product. It's free, it's private, there are no ads, no upsells, and no one is selling your spending habits. Everything runs right in your browser — your data never touches a server.
My goal is to help students get through college without drowning in debt or feeling clueless about where their money goes. If this tool helps even one person feel a little more in control, it was worth building.
— Jay
What's in the tool
Guided Budget Setup
Answer a few questions and get a personalized budget with smart category allocations.
Visual Dashboard
See your spending breakdown, safe-to-spend amount, and budget health at a glance.
Transaction Tracking
Log transactions by category and account — keeps school costs separate from daily spending.
Savings Goals
Set a savings target and watch your progress as you stay on track.
Works Everywhere
Fully responsive — budget from your phone between classes or on your laptop at home.
100% Private
Everything stored in localStorage. No account, no server, no tracking. Your data is yours.