Spendly Blog

What would you like to see in Spendly?

Tue, 09 Mar 2010 11:31:00 -0500

Have an idea or a request for something you’d like to see in Spendly? Let us know at: http://blog.spendly.com/ask

Man Vs. Debt

Tue, 09 Mar 2010 08:30:38 -0500

I just found this site this morning, and I think I’m in love. Lots of great advice, including a mention about not automating your transactions.

Been working on some design updates for Spendly. Among other...

Tue, 09 Mar 2010 08:19:44 -0500

Been working on some design updates for Spendly. Among other things, the keypad is getting a redesign. Here are some early design comps. They’re far from complete, but I’m getting closer. Also thinking about changing up the layout to accommodate some new buttons.

Design exploration for Spendly Touch. This was done a while ago,...

Tue, 26 Jan 2010 09:53:47 -0500

Design exploration for Spendly Touch. This was done a while ago, but just put it together for the portfolio.

Rethinking

Thu, 31 Dec 2009 08:00:34 -0500

The Spendly alpha has produced some great insight. I’ve put development on hold for a few weeks while I focus on overhauling the purpose of the app. Stay tuned.

Multi-faceted: An Interview with Garrett Murray

Thu, 10 Dec 2009 08:02:21 -0500

A great interview with Garrett Murray, the creator of Ego and the ManiacalRage podcast. He’s an inspiration that helped me move towards the goal of launching Spendly Touch and Spendly Online.

A Very Early Preview on Dec 15

Wed, 09 Dec 2009 08:05:14 -0500

I’ve been hard at work, just not on Spendly Online. The last few days have consisted of a lot of client work. For now, client work trumps Spendly, mainly because my clients pay all those pesky bills I’ve managed to accumulate (You know, mortgage, car loan, etc…).

That being said, I’m still planing on opening the gates on Dec 15 for a few people to start playing with Spendly. I wanted to outline what those people can expect:

First off, don’t expect the world. This very early alpha preview is all about getting initial impression on the _idea_ of Spendly, not necessarily every working feature.
There’s a lot missing. Right now, I’ve tried to focus on the process of viewing, creating, and editing entries. Thats about all you can do. The process is actually similar to the experience using Spendly Touch.
Reports are kind of working, but they’re really strange sometimes. Creating a useful and robust reporting system takes time. Time that I’m planning to invest soon.
The current design is already outdated. What you’ll see on Dec 15 is the very rough design. How rough? Well, its only been tested in Safari. Maybe a peak in Firefox, but I wouldn’t expect it to work at all in IE. Yet. The latest iteration of the design will solve a lot of flow and usability issues. A preview of that design is shown above.

So while this very early preview of Spendly Online is missing a lot. If you’re one of the few early testers, I’m looking for you to take some time and peruse Spendly Online. Really get a feel for the app as-is, and dream. Dream about how you want it all to work. Your dreams will be the foundation upon which Spendly will be built.

Want to help create the best income and expense tracker? Enter you email at http://spendly.com to be added to the preview list and maybe you’ll get an email on Dec 15 with your login information!

jQuery Sparklines

Mon, 07 Dec 2009 08:03:47 -0500

jQuery Sparklines:

I’ve been looking for a way to quickly add some simple — yet incredibly useful — graphs and charts to Spendly. I’m pretty sure I found it.

On Self Promotion

Wed, 02 Dec 2009 08:04:09 -0500

On Self Promotion:

From the man himself:

Create for the joy of creating. Share for the joy of the sharing, and because the information you’re sharing genuinely excites you. Do that, and the rest will follow.

A rule to live by.

How I Hire Programmers

Tue, 01 Dec 2009 11:00:45 -0500

How I Hire Programmers:

Great thoughts on hiring from Aaron Swartz, aimed specifically at programmers, but this stuff is universal:

First, do they know stuff? Ask them what they’ve been thinking about and probe them about it. Do they seem to understand it in detail? Can they explain it clearly? (Clear explanations are a sign of genuine understanding.) Do they know stuff about the subject that you don’t?

Looking to Prove John Wrong

Tue, 01 Dec 2009 08:00:42 -0500

Looking to Prove John Wrong:

In reference to jQTouch:

But the demos show just how far short even best-of-breed iPhone web apps fall compared to native apps

The jqtouch demos are kind of weak in regards to actual performance—especially the swipe guestures. But I’m convinced that I can create a top-class iPhone app for Spendly with web technologies. While this won’t happen with the Alpha or Beta tests, I’m hoping our launch in Mar/Apr of 2010 will include an iPhone web app. Local storage and all.

WiseBread

Mon, 30 Nov 2009 17:07:35 -0500

WiseBread:

Wise Bread is a community of bloggers here to help you live large on a small budget. Despite what you may have heard, you don’t have to sacrifice your financial independence to enjoy life.

"If you think nobody cares if you’re alive, try missing a couple of car payments."

Mon, 30 Nov 2009 13:05:11 -0500

“If you think nobody cares if you’re alive, try missing a couple of car payments.”

- Earl Wilson

"The trick is to stop thinking of it as your money"

Mon, 30 Nov 2009 09:04:53 -0500

“The trick is to stop thinking of it as your money”

- IRS Auditor

"The safest way to double your money is to fold it over and put it in your pocket."

Sun, 29 Nov 2009 14:17:59 -0500

“The safest way to double your money is to fold it over and put it in your pocket.”

- Kin Hubbard

Getting ready for greatness.

Sun, 29 Nov 2009 09:02:35 -0500

Getting ready for greatness.:

I’ve launched the sign up form for those interested in keeping up with news regarding Spendly and those who may be interested in participating in the Alpha preview beginning in mid-Deccember.

Shown here is the updated design for sub navs, along with...

Sat, 28 Nov 2009 17:05:00 -0500

Shown here is the updated design for sub navs, along with selectable entries. Getting ready to integrate bulk edits.

An early build of Spendly. The UI is still fairly similar to...

Sat, 28 Nov 2009 13:04:10 -0500

An early build of Spendly. The UI is still fairly similar to what you see in the video. The nav has been updating to include sub-navs for view options. Also, we’re working on a more simplified view option, which will be similar to an iPhone style view. We’re thinking that view will be perfect for Fluid Apps as well.

The 4-day Rule

Sat, 28 Nov 2009 09:03:37 -0500

A rule to live by: When you find something that you want to buy—sometimes even thinking you need to have it right now—stop and wait. Wait 4 days before you allow yourself to buy the item. You’ll probably find that after 4 days, it’s more obvious that you don’t need it.

Spendly Online’s balance widget let’s you quickly...

Fri, 27 Nov 2009 15:45:39 -0500

Spendly Online’s balance widget let’s you quickly see your total balane, incomes, and expenses.