Lumy for everyday household spending
An expense tracker that never asks for your bank login
Capture the purchases that matter without handing over bank credentials or relying on a bank feed.
Linking a bank account is the default in most budgeting apps, and it is exactly what many people will not do: they do not want to give banking access to a third party, their bank is not supported, or a large part of their spending is cash. Lumy has no bank connection at all. The trade-off is honest, because you record expenses yourself, so the app is designed to make that take seconds rather than an evening.
How it works in Lumy
- 1
Type it or say it
Add an expense in the form, write it in the chat, or say it out loud; the AI turns a sentence like "groceries 42" into a categorized transaction.
- 2
Scan the receipt
Photograph a paper receipt, up to five at once, and review the merchant, date, total and items before saving.
- 3
Set limits per category
Weekly, monthly or yearly budgets warn you before you overspend, based on what you have recorded.
- 4
Keep working offline
Entries are stored on your phone first and sync to your account when you are back online.
Built for daily life
Log it in seconds
Add a transaction with a category, amount, and note. Income or expense — Lumy keeps the record straight. Search, filter by date, or browse by family member.
Works with or without a connection
Lumy stores your data locally on device. Log transactions anywhere — everything syncs to the cloud when you're back online.
Track in 44 currencies
Select from a wide range of currencies. Amounts convert automatically so your totals always make sense.
Is this the right setup for you?
A good fit if
- You do not want to share bank credentials with any app.
- Your bank is not supported by the usual aggregators, or you use several banks and currencies.
- A good part of your spending is cash.
Probably not for you if
- You want your balances and card transactions imported without lifting a finger.
- You will not record spending as it happens or scan receipts afterwards.
How it compares with the usual alternatives
Bank-connected apps
Automatic imports, at the cost of giving ongoing access to your transactions. Categories still need fixing, cash is invisible, and coverage varies by bank and country.
Spreadsheets
Private and free, but entries are made later from memory, which is where most small spending gets lost.
Your bank's own app
Shows what went through that bank's cards. It cannot combine several banks, cash or a partner's spending into one budget.
Questions people ask
Is it safe to link a bank account to a budget app?
Many apps use regulated data aggregators, but you still grant ongoing access to your transaction data. If you would rather not, a manual tracker avoids the question: Lumy never asks for or stores banking credentials.
How long does manual tracking take?
An entry typed or spoken as it happens takes a few seconds. Receipt scanning covers bigger shops; reviewing the scan before saving is the only extra step.
Does it work without an internet connection?
Yes. Lumy stores data on the device first and syncs to your account when you reconnect.
Is the free plan enough?
The free plan covers manual expense tracking, budgets, goals, subscriptions and limited AI chat (10 messages a month). Receipt scanning, unlimited AI, voice logging, multi-currency and family sharing need Pro.
What about cash and different currencies?
Cash is recorded like any other expense. Multi-currency, with 44 currencies converted automatically, is a Pro feature.
Guides on this topic
Best Budget Apps Without Linking a Bank Account: 8 Compared (2026)
Eight budget apps that work without your bank login, compared on free-plan limits, household sharing, file import and export, with every fact sourced in September 2026.
How to Track Spending Without Connecting Your Bank Account
You don't need to hand over your banking login to manage money well. Here's how manual and AI-assisted tracking works, a 10-minute weekly reconciliation that keeps it accurate, and what "no bank connection" really does — and doesn't — do for your privacy.
Monarch Money Alternatives for Europe and the UK: 8 Apps Compared (2026)
Monarch Money works only in the US and Canada. Eight alternatives for UK and EU households compared on bank sync, currencies, sharing and price, checked September 2026.
Receipt Scanning and Voice Tracking Make Expense Apps Stick
Manual entry is the reason people abandon expense tracking. Receipt scanning and voice input make logging money fast enough to become a habit.
Related Lumy pages