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Financial Growth Tracker - Setup Guide

Quick Start

Follow these steps to get your financial management application up and running.

Prerequisites

Make sure you have the following installed:

  • Node.js (version 14 or higher) - Download here
  • npm (comes with Node.js)

To verify your installation, run:

node --version
npm --version

Step 1: Environment Setup

  1. Navigate to the project directory:

    cd C:\Users\timud\Documents\financial-app

  2. Copy the example environment file and configure it:

    copy .env.example .env

  3. Open .env and update the JWT_SECRET (important for security):

    PORT=5000
JWT_SECRET=your_unique_secret_key_here_make_it_long_and_random
NODE_ENV=development

Step 2: Install Dependencies

Install all dependencies for both backend and frontend:

npm run install-all

This will:

  • Install backend dependencies in the root folder
  • Install frontend dependencies in the client folder

Step 3: Run the Application

Start both the backend server and frontend in development mode:

npm run dev

This command will:

  • Start the Express backend server on http://localhost:5000
  • Start the React frontend development server on http://localhost:3000
  • Automatically open your browser to the application

Step 4: Create Your Account

  1. Open your browser to http://localhost:3000
  2. Click "Register here" to create a new account
  3. Fill in your username, email, and password
  4. Start tracking your finances!

Alternative: Run Backend and Frontend Separately

If you prefer to run the servers separately:

Backend Only

npm run server

Frontend Only

npm run client

Building for Production

To create a production build of the frontend:

npm run build

This creates an optimized build in the client/build folder.

Troubleshooting

Port Already in Use

If you see an error about port 5000 or 3000 being in use:

  1. Change the PORT in .env file for the backend
  2. The frontend will automatically proxy to the new backend port

Database Issues

The application uses SQLite, which creates a financial.db file automatically. If you encounter database issues:

  1. Stop the application
  2. Delete the financial.db file
  3. Restart the application - it will recreate the database

Module Not Found Errors

If you see "Module not found" errors:

# Reinstall dependencies
rm -rf node_modules client/node_modules
npm run install-all

Next Steps

Once the application is running:

  1. Add Transactions: Track your income and expenses
  2. View Budget Analysis: See spending patterns and get savings suggestions
  3. Track Opportunities: Monitor potential investment opportunities
  4. Review Dashboard: Get an overview of your financial health

Support

For issues or questions, refer to the main README.md file for API documentation and features.