Benji: Budget Tracking and Expense Agent

Description

Who’s it for

This workflow is perfect for individuals who want a simple expense tracker without needing a full app. If you already use Telegram daily, this makes it effortless to log purchases, track spending, and stay accountable to your budget.

How it works / What it does

Send an expense in Telegram using the format /spent 5 lunch.
n8n parses the message and appends the entry to Google Sheets.
Every Sunday at 11:00, the workflow sends a weekly expense summary to Telegram.
If you exceed your weekly budget (default €100), you’ll instantly get a budget warning alert.
Optionally, the sheet can be cleared weekly to start fresh.

How to set up

Create a Telegram bot with BotFather, copy the token, and get your Chat ID via getUpdates.
Make a copy of the provided Google Sheets template and connect your Google credentials in n8n.
Replace <YOUR_CHAT_ID> and <YOUR_SHEET_ID> placeholders in the workflow.
Adjust the budget threshold in the “Check Weekly Budget” node if needed.
Activate the workflow and test with a sample expense.

Requirements

A Telegram bot (free, via BotFather).
Google Sheets with n8n OAuth2 credentials.
An n8n instance (self-hosted or cloud).
How to customize the workflow
Change the budget threshold in the Code node.
Update the summary schedule in the Schedule Trigger node.
Expand the Google Sheet with more categories or details.
Personalize the Telegram messages to fit your style.