The Mission
Solving financial anxiety through a zero-friction, daily spending limit. No bank connections, no complex categories—just a clear answer to “Can I spend this today?”
The Problem
Most budgeting apps are data-entry black holes. They require bank syncs that break, categorization that feels like a chore, and they focus on the future (monthly budgets) rather than the immediate present (daily decisions). This friction leads to abandonment and “finance fatigue.”
The Solution: A Daily “Safe-to-Spend”
Orbit flips the script. It focuses on a single, dynamic number: your daily allowance. By aggregating fixed expenses and goals, it tells you exactly what you can spend today without sabotaging tomorrow.
- Frictionless Entry: Optimized for 5-second expense logging.
- Privacy First: No bank data, no ads, no trackers.
- Dynamic Recalculation: If you overspend today, your future’s daily limit adjusts instantly to keep you on track.
Engineering Insights & Learnings
Building Orbit was a deep dive into state management and product reasoning.
- State Hybridization: I utilized Zustand for transient UI state (modals, local filters) and TanStack Query for persistent server state. This separation of concerns made the app significantly more predictable.
- Custom Auth Patterns: Instead of using Clerk’s pre-built UIs, I implemented custom auth flows using their SDK to have full control over the user experience and branding.
- Logic over CRUD: The core of the app isn’t just saving data; it’s the calculation engine that handles overspending, carries totals forward, and adjusts for varying month lengths.
Technical Stack
- Framework: Next.js (App Router)
- Language: TypeScript
- Database/Auth: Supabase + Clerk
- Styling: Tailwind CSS + Shadcn UI
Future Roadmap
- Native Android and iOS apps for even faster logging.
- Data portability (CSV/PDF exports).
- Shared budgets for partners.