How to create an expense management system (with free template)

Expense management is crucial for both personal and business purposes. It helps maintain control, make informed decisions, and ensure financial well-being.

Baserow offers a user-friendly interface that allows you to create an expense management system without coding knowledge. In this guide, we will explain how to effectively manage expenses using Baserow. This includes setting up the system, entering expenses, categorizing them, and gaining valuable insights through analysis.

What we’ll do

In this tutorial, we’ll walk through the process of creating a no-code database to record and organize your financial transactions efficiently. We’ll cover the following steps:

• Set up a Baserow database
• Create tables to manage expenses
• Design the Baserow tables
• Categorize and link expenses
• Analyze expenses
• Access control and share with relevant stakeholders

Prerequisites

To complete this tutorial, you’ll need the following:

• A Baserow hosted or self-hosted account
• Basic familiarity with Baserow

Let’s dive in!

Manage expenses in a no-code database

1. Set up Baserow database

Log in to your existing Baserow account or create a new account if you don’t have one already.

Once you log in, you can access the dashboard to add workspaces and databases. Let’s start by creating a new workspace or adding a database to an existing workspace.

To create a new workspace, click on the + Create workspace button. Then, click on Add workspace to get started.

If you’re just starting with Baserow, we recommend you read our support article on how to create a workspace and how to add collaborators to your workspace.

Now that the workspace is set up, let’s create a database. You can either create a database from scratch or choose a template from our template library.

For this tutorial, we’ll work with a simple data structure and create a database from scratch.

1. Click on the + Create new button to add a new database to the workspace.
2. Select the Database option from the dropdown modal.
3. Enter a name for the new database. When you create a database, be sure to give it a descriptive name. You can alternatively change the name later if needed.

2. Create tables to manage expenses

Before we start managing our expenses, let’s create our database structure.

We want to create tables to organize our data. Each table will serve a specific purpose in helping us keep our financial information in check. This way, our database is organized right from the start, and we can get to work smoothly.

One table will handle all expenses, and another will handle the expense categories. This way, we can keep things organized and make tracking expenses easier.

When you create a new database, Baserow automatically adds a default table, which is named “Table” by default. While this default name might work in some cases, it’s often more practical to have a table with a name that directly relates to your project. In our case, let’s rename it to a more fitting name, like Transactions.

Then, we’ll create another table named Categories.

There are also people creating and handling transactions, so we’ll create another table named People.

Next, we’ll add fields to make it easy to retrieve and manipulate our data.

3. Design the Baserow tables

The newly added tables come with default fields that may not quite fit our needs. So, we’re going to add new fields that fit our specific requirements.

To create a new field,

1. Click on the + button just after the last visible field at the end of the table.
2. Next, select the field type and input a name to identify the field.
3. Click Create.

In the Transactions table, add the following fields:

The link to table field connects each expense seamlessly to the other tables.

In the Categories table, add the following fields:

In the People table, add the following fields:

Next, we’ll populate the Baserow tables with data.

4. Categorize and link expenses

In the People table, input all the essential information about the individuals or entities connected to the transactions. This will help us keep track of who’s who in each transaction, and ensure that every transaction is properly linked to the relevant parties.

Then populate the Categories table with expense categories like Groceries, Rent, Utilities, etc.

If you have your data already, you can easily import it into your tables, saving you time and ensuring accuracy.

Now that we have our categories and disbursers, we’ll start inputting relevant details for each expense as individual rows in the Transactions table.

In the Transactions table, we have a link to table fields to connect each expense to a category and disburser.

5. Analyze expenses

Views in Baserow act as lenses for your data. They allow you to filter and display only the relevant information, making it easier to work with your data.

In the Transactions table, we’ll create different views and use filters and sorting to make the data more manageable and insightful.

In the top left corner, click on the view switcher to create new views. We will create the following views:

• All Expenses grid view: List every expense entry. Use the footer aggregations to create summary fields for total expenses, average spending, etc.
• Monthly Expenses calendar view: Set up a calendar view to show only expenses from the current month. In the Monthly Expenses view, customize the fields to display by Transaction date field.
• Category Expenses kanban view: Group by Status single select field to track the status of each transaction. Customize the fields to show expense categories.
• A form view for adding new expenses to the database.

6. Access control and share with relevant stakeholders

At Baserow, we value teamwork. That’s why we’ve simplified collaboration. With Baserow user permissions and sharing, you can decide who sees your data and share specific views.

You can give view-only access to certain users. This is ideal for team members who only need to view the data without altering it. You can also publicly share views, allowing anyone with the link to see the data in real-time without an account.

And rest assured, you always have control over your data. You can alter permissions, withdraw access, or update views whenever necessary. This ensures your financial information remains secure and unaltered.

Summary

Voila! You’ve successfully created an expense management database without code.

Effective expense management isn’t just important for personal finances; it’s also key for smooth business operations. This tutorial walked you through the entire process—from setup to input, and categorization—all within Baserow.

Other useful resources

The following articles may also be helpful:

• API integration: How to upload files via URL
• Streamline collaboration and review process with database automation
• How to create an effective product roadmap in 2023
• Automate your workflow: Sync Google Sheets and Baserow with Zapier

If you have any questions about this tutorial, feel free to reach out and ask for help in the Baserow community.

Want to write a new article for Baserow or contribute to an existing one? Check out our contribution guidelines for writing articles.