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Fortuna: Enforcing Financial Discipline

Fortuna is an Android app designed to help users manage their finances by enforcing strict spending limits and locking online shopping and banking apps if users exceed their budget. The app aims to develop better financial habits through real-time expense tracking, warnings for overspending, and a reward system for staying within budget. It targets individuals who struggle with impulse spending and seeks to provide a structured approach to budgeting.

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Gabriel Sosoban
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0% found this document useful (0 votes)
15 views3 pages

Fortuna: Enforcing Financial Discipline

Fortuna is an Android app designed to help users manage their finances by enforcing strict spending limits and locking online shopping and banking apps if users exceed their budget. The app aims to develop better financial habits through real-time expense tracking, warnings for overspending, and a reward system for staying within budget. It targets individuals who struggle with impulse spending and seeks to provide a structured approach to budgeting.

Uploaded by

Gabriel Sosoban
Copyright
© All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd

Fortuna - A Disciplinary Expense Tracker Android App

by Gabriel E. Sosoban
I. INTRODUCTION
Managing money is difficult, especially with the rise of online shopping and
easy digital payments. Many people spend more than they should without realizing it,
which can lead to serious financial problems. Traditional expense tracker apps help
users see their spending, but they do not actively prevent bad financial habits. Fortuna
is designed to do more than just track expenses, it enforces discipline by setting strict
spending limits. If users go over their budget, the app locks online shopping and
banking apps, stopping them from making more unnecessary purchases. By applying
real consequences, Fortuna helps users take control of their money, avoid financial
stress, and build better financial habits over time.

II. OBJECTIVES
1. To help users develop better financial habits by enforcing spending limits.
2. To provide real-time tracking of expenses and prevent unnecessary purchases.
3. To introduce a structured approach to budgeting with penalties for exceeding set
limits.
4. To integrate a reward system for users who consistently stay within their budget.

III. GOALS
1. Develop a user-friendly mobile application that enforces spending discipline.
2. Implement an automated system that monitors transactions and applies restrictions
when needed.
3. Ensure security and privacy by encrypting user data.
4. Provide a smooth and efficient user experience to encourage consistent use.

IV. THEORIES
PROPOSED BLOCK DIAGRAM OF THE SYSTEM
First, the User enters their income and sets a budget inside the User Interface
(UI). The Expense Tracker Module records all expenses and compares them with the
set budget. If spending reaches a warning level, the Warning System sends alerts to
remind the user. If the user overspends, the App Locking Module will restrict access
to online shopping and banking apps. However, in emergencies, the Emergency
Access Feature allows one-time access with a cooldown period to prevent misuse.
The Reward System encourages good spending habits by giving points when users
stay within their budget. Finally, the Database securely stores all transaction records
and user settings to ensure data is saved properly.

PROPOSED FLOWCHART OF THE SYSTEM

The flowchart shows how the Fortuna Expense Tracker system works. It starts
when the user inputs their budget. The app then tracks all expenses and checks if the
spending is within the set limit. If the user has spent too much, the system locks
online shopping and banking apps to prevent further spending. If the user is still
within the limit, the app continues tracking expenses. If overspending is detected, the
system also sends a warning before ending the process. This cycle repeats to help
users stay disciplined with their money.

PROPOSED ALGORITHM
1. App Initialization
Step 1: Start
Step 2: Ask the user to input their budget limit
2. Expense Tracking
Step 3: Continuously track the user’s expenses
Step 4: Check the current spending and compare it to the budget limit
3. Spending Limit Verification
Step 5: Determine if the user is still within the spending limit
If YES, continue tracking expenses normally (Go to Step 3)
If NO, proceed to Step 6
4. Disciplinary Actions
Step 6: Display a warning message to the user about overspending
Step 7: Lock selected shopping and banking apps to prevent further expenses
5. Monitoring & End Condition
Step 8: Continue monitoring expenses and check if spending improves
If spending is under control, unlock the restricted apps at the start of the next cycle
If overspending continues, maintain restrictions and reinforce disciplinary actions
Step 9: End

PROPOSED USER INTERFACE

This screen shows how the expense tracker app works. The user starts by
setting a budget (₱200.00 in this case). As they spend money, the app automatically
tracks expenses and updates the remaining budget. The "Today" and "Month" buttons
allow users to switch between viewing daily and monthly expenses. Each transaction
is listed with an icon, category name, and amount spent. The app calculates total
spending for the selected period (₱135.00 for January 1, 2030) and ensures the user
stays aware of their finances. If spending goes beyond a set limit, the app may lock
apps or send warnings, as shown in the flowchart.
V. PROPOSED CLIENT
1. People who struggle with impulse spending and need financial discipline.
2. Individuals who want a structured way to manage their budget.
3. Young professionals and students looking for better financial habits.

Common questions

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Continual monitoring and the disciplinary cycle in the Fortuna app could lead to increased financial anxiety for some users, particularly if they are unable to consistently meet set budget limits. While it helps in creating awareness and discipline about financial activities, it may also cause stress if users feel overly monitored or penalized, potentially leading to negative associations with financial management. The app must balance its enforcement mechanisms with supportive feedback and reassurance, fostering an environment where users feel guided rather than judged. Thoughtful design and user feedback mechanisms can mitigate these concerns and promote positive mental health alongside financial discipline .

Implementing the proposed algorithm for the Fortuna app presents challenges such as accurately tracking and categorizing expenses to provide reliable budget adherence data. Ensuring user engagement requires the algorithm to deliver timely notifications and incentives without overwhelming users with alerts, which can lead to notification fatigue. Maintaining adherence to budgets involves not only precise expense tracking but also effectively communicating the repercussions of overspending and the benefits of staying within limits. Calibration of the algorithm to respond appropriately in diverse user scenarios is crucial for balance, making ongoing development and feedback integration essential .

The reward system in the Fortuna app motivates users to stick to their budgets by incentivizing disciplined financial behavior. Users earn points for consistently staying within their budget, which may be redeemed for rewards. This positive reinforcement can lead to the establishment of long-term financial habits as users are encouraged to continue practicing good financial discipline even when the immediate reward is not present, gradually internalizing these behaviors .

The proposed client profile for the Fortuna app includes people struggling with impulse spending, individuals seeking structured budget management, and young professionals or students looking to instill better financial habits. This aligns well with the app's goals, such as implementing a disciplined approach to spending, providing real-time tracking, and enforcing spending limits through disciplinary actions. The features, including the reward system and emergency access, cater to the needs of this demographic by offering both immediate consequences for overspending and incentives for good behavior, thus supporting their financial improvement efforts .

The emergency access feature in the Fortuna app allows users one-time access to locked applications in case of emergencies, with a cooldown period to prevent abuse. This balances financial control by providing flexibility for legitimate needs while maintaining overall discipline. Potential limitations include users exploiting this feature by classifying non-essential needs as emergencies, and the possibility of users feeling restricted if numerous genuine emergencies occur in a short span. Successfully navigating these challenges requires careful algorithmic tuning to distinguish between misuse and genuine emergencies .

The Fortuna app enforces financial discipline by setting strict spending limits, and if users exceed these limits, it locks their access to online shopping and banking apps, effectively preventing further unnecessary expenses. This system implies that users are forced to confront their spending habits more critically, as real consequences follow poor financial decisions. The potential implications include the development of improved spending habits over time as users seek to avoid these consequences and the possibility of increased financial stress relief as users gain better control over their finances .

The app locking feature reduces user autonomy by imposing restrictions on accessing certain applications upon overspending. While this can enhance financial responsibility by preventing impulse purchases, it might also be perceived as punitive and lead to user frustration. Users may feel a lack of control over their financial decisions, potentially influencing their perception negatively if they view the restrictions as excessive. Balancing this feature's impact necessitates transparent communication about its activation and providing options to unlock it in genuine cases of need, thus supporting users' long-term financial responsibility instead of rebellion against the imposed limits .

The proposed user interface design supports user experience goals by allowing easy input of budget limits, offering real-time updates on spending, and providing clear visuals for daily or monthly expenses. It is designed to be intuitive, with labeled icons and categories for each transaction, contributing to a straightforward user experience. Furthermore, the seamless switching between viewing periods helps users stay aware of their financial status, thereby encouraging consistent engagement with the app. The clarity and simplicity of the design promote continued usage and align with the goal of fostering financial discipline through convenience and transparency .

The Fortuna app ensures data security and privacy by encrypting all user data, including transaction records and budget settings. This protects sensitive financial information from unauthorized access and breaches. The app also likely utilizes secure authentication methods to prevent unauthorized usage and integrates robust security protocols to safeguard user data storage and transmission. Given the sensitivity of financial data, the implementation of these security measures is crucial and must be continually updated to align with industry standards and respond to emerging threats .

The Fortuna app integrates real-time expense tracking by continuously monitoring user expenses against set budget limits and implementing disciplinary actions such as locking specific apps when limits are exceeded. This requires synchronization of financial data streams in real-time and immediate triggering of actions based on spending patterns. Challenges include ensuring data security, maintaining accuracy in expense reporting and app-lock timing, and minimizing user frustration through clear communications of budget status and actions taken. Efficient algorithm development and robust user-testing are critical to success .

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