I hate money

I hate money is a self-hosted web application designed for shared budget management. It tracks group expenses by recording who purchased an item, the date of the transaction, and the individuals for whom the purchase was made. The software calculates balances to help groups settle bills between multiple people, ensuring that shared costs are distributed accurately among all participants.

The application is deployed as a server-side web app and is compatible with mobile browsers. It is built using Python and the Flask framework, focusing on a minimal technical footprint with limited JavaScript and a straightforward user interface. This approach ensures that the software remains accessible across different devices without requiring dedicated mobile applications, as the same web interface serves both desktop and mobile users.

Key features

• Tracking of shared group expenses
• Calculation of balances for bill settlement
• Support for SQLite, PostgreSQL, and MariaDB backends
• In-memory backend option for temporary data
• Mailing list integration for updates
• Docker installation for simplified deployment
• Mobile-responsive web interface
• Account-free invitation system for group members

The software is designed for users and server administrators who prioritize stability and simplicity over complex feature sets. It supports Python versions 3.11 through 3.13 and is primarily developed to align with the software environments of Debian stable and old-stable distributions. The architecture emphasizes manageable dependencies and a small code size to reduce the maintenance burden for self-hosters. By avoiding the requirement for invited users to create accounts, the application reduces friction for group members who only need to view or add expenses occasionally.

This tool serves as a lightweight utility for individuals and groups needing a basic system to manage collective spending. It focuses on a minimal set of features that perform the core tasks of expense tracking and debt settlement.