NOKORI

Summary

A personal project: a budget management app built around the 50/30/20 rule as its core philosophy. The development process also served as an exploration into how AI could be integrated into a real-world workflow. One defining characteristic is that the app relies entirely on existing cloud services (iCloud, Google Drive, Dropbox), removing the need to operate a dedicated server.

The motivation came from my own habit of tracking finances in Google Sheets using the 50/30/20 rule. As AI matured to a point where it could meaningfully support app development, I wanted to take what I had been managing in a spreadsheet and rebuild it as a modern, dedicated app.

Tech Stack

React Native / Expo / TypeScript

Key Features

• Budget management based on the 50/30/20 rule (Needs / Wants / Savings)
• Multi-currency support (calculated using daily exchange rates)
• Data sync via iCloud, Google Drive, and Dropbox

Challenges and Solutions

Project Premise

The product targets individuals and families managing tight household finances. Since this audience tends not to engage with paid services, and because the goal was to offer a standalone product that operates within a single household rather than as a large-scale service, these constraints shaped the entire design approach.

Serverless Data Sharing

Data sharing was a non-issue on Google Sheets, but building it as a standalone app would normally require running a dedicated server. That would introduce ongoing costs, which would likely push the project toward a subscription model to recover expenses, an outcome that conflicted with the product’s intent.

The solution was to store data on cloud storage services the user already has (iCloud, Google Drive, Dropbox) and manage everything from there. This approach keeps running costs effectively at zero.

Multi-Currency Support

To accommodate scenarios like travel or having family members living abroad, the app supports input in currencies other than the user’s primary one. Exchange rates are fetched daily, so any amount entered in a foreign currency is automatically converted and reflected in the main currency.

What I learned

The most significant takeaway was realizing that AI makes it possible to take on projects that were previously out of reach due to time constraints. Being able to ship an app in just under five months while balancing childcare showed me that the range of what’s possible in product development has genuinely expanded. The project was built with React Native, but more than the framework itself, the most valuable outcome was gaining hands-on experience with the overall flow of AI-assisted product development.