Expense Tracker – Java Console Application

A simple Java-based expense tracker that allows users to manage daily expenses via the command line. Users can add, view, delete, filter, and save/load expenses using this project.

Features

• Add new expenses with amount, category, date, and description
• View all saved expenses
• Delete an expense by index
• Filter expenses by category
• Filter expenses by a date range
• View total expenses
• Save expenses to a file
• Load expenses from a file

Technologies Used

• Java 8+
• Java IO (PrintWriter, Scanner, File)
• Java LocalDate from java.time for date handling
• ArrayList for storing expenses

Project Structure

How It Works

1. Run the main() method in Expense.java.
2. Use the menu to interact:
   • Option 1: Add a new expense
   • Option 2: View all saved expenses
   • Option 3: Delete an expense by index
   • Option 4: Filter expenses by category
   • Option 5: Filter by a date range (format: yyyy-mm-dd)
   • Option 6: View the total of all expenses
   • Option 7: Save all expenses to a file (expenses.txt)
   • Option 8: Load expenses from a previously saved file
   • Option 9: Exit the program

Notes

• The app uses a global Scanner object to handle user input.
• All expenses are stored in memory during runtime using an ArrayList.
• When saved, expenses are stored in CSV-like format in expenses.txt.

Future Improvements

• GUI interface with JavaFX or Swing
• Export to Excel or PDF
• Expense categories as enums
• Monthly summaries and statistics