> ## Content Index > Fetch the complete content index at: https://www.artisancraft.dev/llms.txt > Use this file to discover other available public pages before exploring further. # I built Expensio — A simple expense tool I needed myself - URL: https://www.artisancraft.dev/i-built-expensio-a-simple-expense-tool-i-needed-myself/ - Published: 2025-12-11T13:35:28.000Z - Updated: 2025-12-11T13:35:28.000Z - Description: I built Expensio because I needed a simple way to create clean expense claims without heavy bookkeeping tools. A lightweight, multilingual app for quick, no-nonsense declarations. - Author: Daniel Plomp - Tags: buildinpublic, launch, mvp, professionals, startups, techcommunity, Expensio Most products start with a big idea. Expensio started with a small frustration. I regularly needed to file simple expense claims — in my case, mostly travel costs and a fixed-rate service I occasionally provide. Nothing fancy. No invoices, no VAT gymnastics, no bookkeeping software. Just a clean overview I could email to a foundation as a private person. I looked around for a tool that could do exactly that. I didn’t find one. So I built it. --- ## Why I built Expensio My requirements were straightforward: - Create a simple, clean expense claim in minutes - Add a few expenses (like travel distance or flat-rate services) - Export a professional-looking PDF I can send by email - No heavy bookkeeping, no accounting dashboards, no clutter That alone would have solved 80% of my use cases. But I also run my own company. That meant I sometimes **do** need VAT-aware summaries, receipts, and proper overviews that fit within a more formal workflow. So Expensio had to support both modes: - **Private mode**: no invoices, no VAT, no accounting - **Business mode**: expenses with receipts, VAT percentages (0%, 9%, 21%), totals, and structured declarations Two workflows, one lightweight product. --- ## Keeping it intentionally simple There are plenty of complex bookkeeping tools out there. Expensio is deliberately not one of them. The idea was never to build a competitor to accounting suites. Instead, I wanted a *straight-line experience*: 1. Add an expense 2. Bundle expenses into a declaration 3. Export and send it No setup. No onboarding wizard. No dozens of toggles. Just a practical, no-nonsense tool that gets out of the way. --- ## Multilingual from the start Because expense workflows are universal in Europe, I built Expensio in three languages from day one: - Dutch - English - German Most of the target audience sits somewhere within that triangle, and making the product understandable without relying on English alone felt like an important quality-of-life decision. --- ## A few subscription tiers (just enough) Expensio is not meant to be a large-scale SaaS engine. But running servers and maintaining features does come with a cost. So I added a few small subscription tiers — nothing exaggerated, just enough to differentiate power use from casual use: - A free tier for simple private users - Professional and Business tiers with extras such as CSV export, unlimited categories, branding, and more The idea is simply to keep the product sustainable. --- ## What’s inside (at a glance) Without turning this into a feature list, a few highlights: - Expense tracking with or without units (e.g., hours × rate, km × price) - VAT-aware calculation when needed - Declarable bundles of expenses (concept vs. submitted) - Clean PDF templates - Contact management (e.g., organizations, foundations, clients) - A straightforward dashboard - Multi-language interface - No bookkeeping overhead It’s built to feel lightweight and predictable — something you can use without thinking about it. --- ## What I didn’t build Just as important are the things I *didn’t* add: - No invoicing - No full accounting - No bank integrations - No mileage trackers - No complicated automation These tools already exist in abundance. Expensio fills the gap between “too simple” and “too complex.” --- ## Who it’s for I originally built Expensio for myself, but it naturally fits: - freelancers - small business owners - volunteers filing claims for foundations - organizations that need clear expense summaries - people who hate bookkeeping tools but still need tidy PDFs If you want a simple expense flow without adopting a full accounting system, it might be exactly the kind of tool you’ve been looking for. --- ## Try it Expensio will be live next week! I wrote an in-depth breakdown of how I built Expensio — from the workflow design to the technical architecture. Subscribe if you want to read these kinds of maker-focused deep dives. [Learn more ](#/portal/signup/free)