Have you ever wished there was a fun way to help your kids learn good savings habits early? Or, on a completely different note, do you struggle with importing transactions from a bank that isn’t supported by Plaid?
Last month, we received two completely different contributions from a community member who has tackled both challenges!
This month’s spotlight is on Artem S, aka H1D, creator of the Kids Companion App, from the Netherlands
1) Hi Artem. Tell us about yourself.
I currently live in the Amsterdam area in the Netherlands. I’ve been working in software engineering for more than 15 years. I’m really interested in the idea of owning your own data, self-hosting, and all of that nerdy stuff.
2) What drew you to Lunch Money, and how has it fit into your financial management routine?
I think Lunch Money is my third attempt to adopt proper financial management habits. I’ve tried different things over the years, starting with Google Spreadsheets and then various apps. At one point, I was even considering “vibe coding” my own custom solution based on ledger-cli.
But then I discovered Lunch Money, and it felt like the perfect balance between a polished product and a hardcore custom solution. I still feel like I own my data and can do whatever I want with it, while also benefiting from a team that’s committed to building a high-quality product.
3) You’ve built a Kids Companion App for Lunch Money. Tell us about it.
The Kids Companion App started with the idea of teaching kids good financial habits while still giving them the freedom to spend some money just for fun from time to time. I found this difficult to do with traditional banking apps because they are often overly complicated and may impose age restrictions.
With my Kids Companion Progressive Web App, I was able to install it on our kids’ phones so they can always see their financial situation.
The app lets kids see and manage their money in three simple buckets: long-term savings goals, saving for something specific, and fun money they can spend however they like.
It also supports multiple languages if your kids don’t speak English:
4) You’ve also created a “bookmarklet” that you use to import transactions from your bank into Lunch Money. How does it work?
This project is a bit more experimental. It uses a bookmarklet, which is essentially a browser bookmark that runs a small script. A bookmarklet lets you run JavaScript directly in the browser to mimic user behavior. This can be very useful if your bank has a webpage where you can view transactions, but doesn’t offer a way to export them.
When you activate the bookmarklet, it gathers the transaction data just like a real user would. Then, using a configured Lunch Money token, it sends that data directly into your Lunch Money account.
The project is open source. If you live in the Netherlands and are an ICS client, you can use it directly. And if you’re a bit paranoid (which is understandable!), you can share the link with ChatGPT or any other agent for a security audit. 😊
If you’d like to try to make this work with your own bank, I’ve created three open-source versions:
👉 Bookmarklet that exports transactions as a CSV file
👉 Bookmarklet that sends transactions directly to Lunch Money
If you’re experimenting, it’s probably easier to get the CSV version working first and then take it from there!
5) Is there anything you’d like to ask the Lunch Money community?
I’d encourage people to try either the Kids Companion App or the bookmarklet. Don’t hesitate to share feedback or ideas. You can submit feature requests by opening a new issue on GitHub or by contacting me directly. Together, we can build better tools for the community.
Thank you, Artem! I hope that our users with young kids will try out the Kids Companion App.
I’m especially excited about the possibility for community-built tools that improve transaction syncing. Based on your example, I was able to create bookmarklets to import transactions from my Firestone-branded credit card.
If this approach catches on, we could eventually create a shared library of bookmarklets for anyone in the community to use! If you’d like to try to get this working for your bank, join the conversation in the #🔖-bookmarklets Discord channel.
Questions? Chat with Artem in the official #kids-companion-app on Discord:
Quick pricing reminder! 📣
As Lunch Money continues to grow, we’re investing in product improvements, reliability, and long-term sustainability, all while remaining fully independent and customer-funded.
- What’s changing: Starting March 15, 2026, the minimum price for our pay-what-you-want annual plan will increase to $60.
- The good news: Existing subscribers are unaffected (price-lock guarantee activated 🚀). New users who sign up before March 15 can lock in the current $50 annual rate for life!
If you have friends, family, or coworkers who might benefit from Lunch Money, now is a great time to invite them. When you refer someone before the price change, they can lock in the lower price, and you’ll earn referral rewards!
Offer Lunch Money as an Employee Benefit 💛
We’re interested in hearing from anyone who would love to see Lunch Money offered as an employee benefit in their workplace.
If you’re a founder, CEO, HR leader, or simply a passionate Lunch Money user who thinks your coworkers would benefit from better personal finance tools, we’d love to hear from you!
Want to help us introduce it to your organization? Tell us a bit about your workplace below, and we’ll be in touch as Lunch Money Organizations rolls out.
Call for community spotlight nominations 🗳️
Have a story you’d like to share with the community? It doesn’t have to involve building an app. We’d also love to hear how you use Lunch Money or how it’s made an impact in your life.
If you have a story you’d like to share, please fill out this quick form:
Looking for expert advice? 🎖️
If you’ve ever felt stuck, overwhelmed, or unsure where to start on your financial journey, the new Lunch Money Coaching Directory makes it easy to connect with certified Lunch Money coaches who can help you reach your financial goals!
Latest from YouTube! 📺
Minimalist budgeting is often misunderstood as extreme frugality or cutting out everything you enjoy, but that’s not the goal. 💸✨
In this video, Jacob walks through a simple step-by-step approach to building a minimalist budget that removes financial clutter and makes money decisions easier. You’ll learn how to simplify your categories, spend with intention, automate your system, and see how it all works through a real-life example.
Latest from the blog! 📝
Budgeting sounds simple, but sticking to it is where most people struggle.
In this guide, certified Lunch Money coaches John and Jeanine break down three common reasons budgets fail, and share practical ways to fix them so your budget feels clearer, more flexible, and far less stressful.
Looking for more personalized help? Visit our Coaching Directory to connect with John, Jeanine and other certified Lunch Money financial coaches.
Lunch Money in the Wild 👀
Nothing makes us happier than seeing Lunch Money love out in the wild. Here’s a recent shoutout from a community member! 💛
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