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Get started with SpendWisely George and add your first expense in just a few minutes.

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Overview

This quick start guide will help you:
  • Set up a Google Sheet backend
  • Deploy the Google Apps Script
  • Open the application
  • Add your first expense with AI
For the full installation with bank sync and portfolio tracking, see the Installation Guide.

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Prerequisites

Before you begin, make sure you have:
  • A Google account
  • A modern web browser (Chrome, Firefox, Safari, or Edge)
  • A Gemini API key (free tier available)
1

Create Your Google Sheet

Create a new Google Sheet to store your expenses.
  1. Go to Google Sheets
  2. Click Blank to create a new sheet
  3. Add these column headers in row 1:
    • A1: Date
    • B1: Description
    • C1: Amount
    • D1: Category
    • E1: Type
  4. Copy the sheet ID from the URL (the long string after /d/)
The URL looks like:
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/YOUR_SHEET_ID_HERE/edit
Copy the part that says YOUR_SHEET_ID_HERE.
2

Deploy the Google Apps Script

Set up the backend to process expenses with AI.
  1. In your Google Sheet, go to Extensions → Apps Script
  2. Delete any existing code
  3. Copy the entire script from google_script.js
  4. Paste it into the Apps Script editor
  5. Update line 14 with your Sheet ID: 
    const SHEET_ID = "your_sheet_id_here";
  6. Click Deploy → New deployment
  7. Select type: Web app
  8. Configure:
    • Execute as: Me
    • Who has access: Anyone
  9. Click Deploy
  10. Copy the Web App URL
You’ll be asked to authorize the script. Review the permissions and click Allow.
3

Configure Your API Key

Get a free Gemini API key for AI-powered expense categorization.
  1. Visit Google AI Studio
  2. Click Create API Key
  3. Copy your API key
  4. Keep it handy for the next step
The free tier includes 15 requests per minute and 1,500 requests per day — more than enough for personal use.
4

Open the Application

Access SpendWisely George and configure your settings.
Open the hosted version:
https://georgejohnsonoff-business.github.io/spendwiselygeorge/
This version doesn’t include bank sync or portfolio tracking. For full features, see the Local Setup guide.
Once the app is open:
  1. Click the G button in the top-left to open Settings
  2. Scroll to Gemini API Key
  3. Paste your API key
  4. Click Save Key to Cloud
5

Update the Frontend Configuration

Connect the frontend to your Google Apps Script.
  1. Open index.html in a text editor
  2. Find line 306 (the SCRIPT_URL constant)
  3. Replace the URL with your Web App URL from Step 2:
    index.html
    const SCRIPT_URL = "https://script.google.com/macros/s/YOUR_DEPLOYMENT_ID/exec";
  4. Save the file
  5. Refresh the app in your browser
The status indicator should change from OFFLINE to ONLINE if everything is connected properly.
6

Add Your First Expense

Try adding an expense with natural language.In the input field at the top of the app, type:
Coffee at Starbucks 250
Then click ADD (or press Enter).
  1. Your text is sent to the Google Apps Script
  2. The script calls Gemini AI with your transaction history as context
  3. AI extracts: description (“Coffee at Starbucks”), amount (250), and category (“Food”)
  4. The transaction is saved to your Google Sheet
  5. You get an AI insight like: “Saved. Coffee break! That’s ₹50 more than your usual.”
Voice Input: Click the microphone icon and say “Lunch with team twelve hundred rupees” — it works hands-free!

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What’s Next?

Full Installation

Set up bank sync, portfolio tracking, and the backend server

Explore Features

Learn about AI categorization, budgeting, and privacy mode

Set Up Integrations

Connect Fold Money for automatic bank transaction sync

API Reference

Explore the backend API for custom integrations

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Quick Tips

Just type words like “salary” or “income” in your description:
Salary deposit 50000
The AI automatically detects it as income (CREDIT) instead of an expense (DEBIT).
Yes! Click the microphone icon and speak your expense. The Web Speech API converts it to text, then AI processes it.Works best in Chrome, Edge, and Safari.
The AI learns from your history. After a few entries, it becomes more accurate. You can also manually edit categories directly in the Google Sheet.
  • Your data is stored in your own Google Sheet (you own it)
  • The Gemini API key is stored in Google Script Properties (encrypted)
  • No data is sent to third-party servers except Google’s APIs
  • You can enable Privacy Mode to mask income amounts in the UI

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Troubleshooting

Status shows OFFLINECheck that:
  1. Your SCRIPT_URL in index.html matches your Apps Script deployment URL
  2. Your Google Apps Script is deployed as “Anyone can access”
  3. You’ve authorized the script permissions
AI isn’t workingCheck that:
  1. Your Gemini API key is saved (Settings → Gemini API Key)
  2. The API key is valid (test it at Google AI Studio)
  3. You haven’t exceeded the rate limit (15 requests/min)

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