Case Study
From Spreadsheet
to App Store.
How Full Stack Media conceived, designed and built Budget Expert — a savings goal app that turns any financial goal into a simple, automatic payment plan.
App Store
Now available on iOS
Free
No subscription, ever
v1.1.0
Latest release
The Challenge
A good idea trapped
in a spreadsheet.
Budget Expert started as a spreadsheet.
A practical one, built to solve a real and familiar problem: how do you save for a family holiday without scrambling for a lump sum at the last minute? Book the trip, pay a deposit, set aside a little each month, and by the time you travel it is paid off. Simple, effective, and surprisingly powerful once you see it working.
The spreadsheet worked. But spreadsheets are not for everyone, and the underlying idea was too good to stay locked in a file on a desktop. The challenge was to take that logic and turn it into something anyone could use: a properly designed, properly built product that handled the complexity quietly and put clarity front and centre.
"The idea was too good to stay locked in a spreadsheet."
About the product
Origin
Self-initiated product
Built by
Full Stack Media
Industry
Personal Finance
Status
Live — version 1.1.0
Stack
iOS native, web app
Services delivered
iOS App Store
Budget Expert
What We Did
Conceived, designed
and shipped in-house.
Full Stack Media designed and built Budget Expert entirely in-house, from the initial product concept through to App Store submission and the approval of version 1.1.0. There was no client brief, no agency relationship and no external constraints. Just a problem worth solving and the capability to solve it properly.
The app works for any savings goal: a family holiday, a wedding, a new car, a house deposit, or a rainy day fund. Set a target amount, any deposit already paid, and a saving frequency. Budget Expert calculates the rest, producing a clear payment schedule broken down weekly, fortnightly or monthly.
"What makes Budget Expert genuinely different is how it handles real life."
Missed a payment? Mark it as missed and Budget Expert redistributes the shortfall automatically across the remaining schedule. Got extra to put in? Add an ad-hoc payment and watch future amounts drop. Only managed part of an instalment? The partial payment option adjusts the balance in real time. The goal stays on track whatever happens.
The interface is clean, considered and free of noise. A dashboard gives an at-a-glance view of every active goal and total amount saved. Progress bars make it immediately clear how far each goal has come.
The business model reflects the same thinking. Budget Expert is free with two goals included. Unlimited goals are a one-off purchase, no subscription and no recurring fees, ever. A Professional tier adds custom goal types, priority support and access to every future feature, including shared goals with a partner, family member or friend.
How we built it
Product concept
From a working spreadsheet to a defined product — identifying the core logic, the edge cases and the experience that would make it genuinely useful.
UX and design
A clean, distraction-free interface built around reducing financial stress. Every screen designed to show exactly what you need and nothing you don't.
iOS and web build
Native iOS development alongside a web app at app.budgetexpert.app, giving users access across every device from day one.
App Store submission
Full App Store submission process, review and approval — from first build to version 1.1.0 live on the App Store.
The Result
An idea conceived, built and shipped.
App Store approved
Designed, built and submitted in-house. Budget Expert passed Apple's review process and is live on the iOS App Store at version 1.1.0.
iOS and web
Available on iOS and as a web app at app.budgetexpert.app — built to reach users across every device from the first release.
No subscription, ever
A deliberate product decision. Free to download, with a one-off purchase for unlimited goals. The business model is as considered as the product.
This case study is different to the others in this portfolio. There is no client brief, no before-and-after traffic chart and no third-party relationship to report. What it demonstrates is something arguably more telling.
The ability to identify a real problem, design a product that solves it properly, build it to a standard worthy of the App Store, and ship it. Version 1.1.0 is the beginning.
Looking Ahead
Version 1.1.0
is the beginning.
The marketing website for Budget Expert is in development. Full Stack Media will be building out a dedicated web presence to support app growth, alongside an organic and paid acquisition strategy to grow the user base.
The product roadmap includes shared goals, additional goal types and continued refinement based on user feedback. Budget Expert is a living product, not a finished one.
What's next
Marketing website
A dedicated web presence for Budget Expert, built by Full Stack Media.
Organic & paid acquisition
A growth strategy to build the user base across App Store search, social and paid channels.
Shared goals
Save together — shared goals with a partner, family member or friend are on the roadmap.
Additional goal types
Expanding the goal types available to cover more of the ways people save.
Try Budget Expert
Start saving toward your next goal.
Free to download with two savings goals included. Upgrade once for unlimited goals — no subscription, no recurring fees, ever.
I'm in!
Where do I start?
Let's map out your digital inventory, eliminate bottlenecks, and build a scalable ecosystem designed for long-term growth.
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Michele Carby Practice