KakeiBuddy User Guide
KakeiBuddy helps users build a budgeting habit by logging transactions, reviewing spending patterns, completing missions, and receiving small coaching suggestions.
1. Getting Started
When opening the app for the first time, users go through onboarding:
- Review the app introduction
- Choose app mode and privacy preferences
- Set up a profile and budgeting preferences
- Enter income pattern and savings goal details
- Optionally join Research Mode
- Start using the main tabs: Home, Expenses, Challenge, Coach and Profile
2. Budget Profile
The budget profile stores details used to personalize the app:
- Income range and pay schedule
- Savings goal
- Budget preferences
- Notification and reminder settings
Users can update budget information from Profile settings.
3. Transactions
Users can add income and expense records from the transaction flow.
Typical transaction details include:
- Amount
- Type: income or expense
- Category
- Notes
- Entry date
- Repeat setting when available
Expense categories are grouped into:
- Needs
- Wants
- Culture
- Unexpected
4. Expenses And Insights
The Expenses tab summarizes spending with visual reports. It uses local transaction data stored on the device.
Users can review:
- Total spending
- Category breakdowns
- Spending trends
- Detailed transaction history
5. Missions And Challenges
The Challenge area contains monthly budgeting missions. Missions can involve logging streaks, spending reductions, reflection habits, savings progress, or budget adherence.
Users can:
- Browse available missions
- Accept a mission
- Track mission progress
- Claim rewards after completion
- Earn points and badges
6. AI Coach
The Coach tab gives budgeting suggestions based on spending ratios and savings progress. The backend tries to use the trained DDPG policy. If the model cannot load or predict, the backend returns transparent fallback rule suggestions.
Suggestions may recommend:
- Reducing Wants spending
- Reducing Culture spending
- Increasing savings target
- Choosing a related mission
7. Notifications
KakeiBuddy can schedule reminders and budget nudges. Notification preferences are managed in Profile settings.
Examples include:
- Expense logging reminders
- Weekly budget summary reminders
- Payday reminders
- Budget pressure nudges
8. Privacy And Data Mode
KakeiBuddy is designed around privacy-aware budgeting.
Private Mode:
- Keeps transaction rows and notes on the device
- Avoids syncing raw budget details
- Still allows local insights
Sync Mode:
- Allows selected aggregate summaries and study-safe metrics to sync.
- Does not include raw transaction rows or notes in research export.
9. Research Mode
Research Mode is optional. It supports study tracks and survey checkpoints for TALE or GALA-style research workflows.
Research Mode may include:
- Consent flow
- Study group selection
- Pre, midpoint, or post surveys
- Knowledge checks or assessments
- Anonymous app events
- Challenge progress snapshots
Users may skip research onboarding. Research settings can be reviewed later from Profile settings.
10. Reset And Local Data
The app includes a reset option in settings. Resetting clears local transactions, summaries, settings, onboarding state, AI cache, local research flags, notifications, points, and badges on the device.
Important: reset does not delete records that were already uploaded to the backend.