CHAPTER ONE

1.0 INTRODUCTION

The effective management of finances and accounts has long been a significant concern,

with individuals often struggling to track their spending. The advent of modern technologies and

widespread internet accessibility has reshaped this landscape. In response to these challenges, the

Household Expenditure Management System emerges as a web-based solution designed to track

expenses, align spending with set budgets, and foster responsible financial habits. This chapter

delves into the background, problem statement, objectives, scope, and limitations of this system,

addressing the need for a user-friendly tool to enhance financial management in the face of

existing software shortcomings and the complexities of busy lifestyles.

1.1 BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY

Management of finance and accounts has been an actual issue for a long time. People are

less likely to keep track of their spending, be it, in checkbook or even spreadsheets. Despite that,

for the recent decades, it has got a new perspective with the advent of modern technologies and

the internet which is becoming more and more accessible. According to (Lequiller, 2006)

Household final consumption expenditure (POES) is a transaction of the national account's use

of income account representing consumer spending. It consists of the expenditure incurred by

resident households on individual consumption goods and services, including those sold at prices

that are not economically significant. It also includes various kinds of imputed expenditure of

which the imputed rent for services of owner-occupied housing (imputed rents) is generally the

most important one. The household sector covers not only those living in traditional households,

but also those people living in communal establishments, such as retirement homes, boarding

houses and prisons. Malthus and Adam Smith studied the economics of the family in part by

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looking at the relationship between family size and living wage (Adams, 2010). Studies also

indicated that Accounting has a reputation for being boring, but the market is fierce. With the

needs of accounting changing as fast as the industries it services, accounting software is bigger

than ever.

The right tools can enable a department to provide forecasting insight, analytics, and

more while staying up to date on tracking and tax compliance (trustradius.com, 2022). Online

resources are available to assist with strategic planning of accounting information systems.

Information systems and financial forms aid in determining the specific needs of each

organization, as well as assigning responsibility to principles involved (Accounting Information

Systems, 2012).

The Household Expenditure Management System is concerned with expenditure

management activities. They carry out the responsibility of making appropriate selection and

expenditure used by formulating an annual, monthly, weekly, or daily list of expenditure

requirement and management reports. However, some households still use the manual system of

operation which can lead to inappropriate expenditure management, errors due to problems of

handling voluminous file within a short period of time making data inaccessible and

misplacement of expenditure files. Thus, it is the belief in the project that providing an I.T

solution to resolve the expenditure management issues and inventory will be of great benefit to

realizing efficiency and error minimization.”

1.2 PROBLEM AREA

The current landscape of online budget planner software falls short in effectively

assisting users with budget creation and adherence. Many available tools are hindered by

complex features, making ongoing maintenance challenging and user-unfriendly. The busy and

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hectic lifestyles of individuals contribute to a widespread oversight of budgeting, leading to

unplanned and excessive spending. Existing tools do not adequately address the challenges users

face in predicting future expenses. Traditional methods like paper records and Excel

spreadsheets persist but are limited by the lack of financial management knowledge among users.

There is a critical need to develop an advanced online budget planner with user-friendly features

to streamline ongoing maintenance and cater to users with varying financial literacy levels. This

research project aims to bridge these gaps and provide a comprehensive solution for effective

financial management.

1.3 PROBLEM STATEMENT

Existing online budget planner software often fails to adequately assist users in creating

and adhering to budgets due to complicated features and a lack of user-friendliness. Busy

lifestyles contribute to a tendency to overlook budgeting, leading to excessive spending.

Addressing these issues is crucial for developing a more effective and user-friendly solution.

1.4 SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY

Researching household expenditure management systems provides key insights for

addressing spending-related challenges and improving well-being. The study aims to measure

and monitor spending on goods and services, analyzing variations across regions, income groups,

and time periods. This research holds the potential to inform effective strategies for managing

household expenditures.

1.5 RESEARCH QUESTIONS

Primary Question

i. What should constitute a computerized household expenditure management system

for various households

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Secondary Questions

i. What are the general characteristics of an inventory management system?

ii. What are the requirements for the households computerized management system?

iii. How can the computerized expenditure management system be designed?

iv. How can the household expenditure management system be evaluated?

1.6 AIM AND OBJECTIVES

Through these objectives, the study aims to improve the overall usability and functionality of

the Household Expenditure Management System, providing valuable insights for enhanced

financial planning and well-being.

i. Identifying interfaces for easy user access to the Household Expenditure Management

System.

ii. Identifying a systematic system to enhance users' financial management capabilities.

iii. Assessing future budget planning through the implementation of the system.

iv. Testing and evaluating the system's reliability in generating monthly reports.

1.7 RESEARCH METHODOLOGY

The primary approach employed in this project is the Structured System Analysis and

Design Methodology (SSADM), a comprehensive method involving the investigation of the

current system, definition of the new system, and establishment of constraints. To complement

SSADM, other methods and techniques such as Experimental, Qualitative, Analytical, and

Visualization methods are integrated. These diverse approaches aim to enhance the research

process and provide a more holistic understanding of the subject. The research methodology

focuses on adopting a large-scale population survey, particularly SSADM, for data collection on

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household spending. This approach facilitates the collection of comprehensive data on various

goods and services, household income, and other relevant characteristics.

1.8 SCOPE AND LIMITATIONS OF THE STUDY

1.8.1 Scope of the Study

This research is scoped on Household Expenditure Management System with respect to

two primary aspects: the administrators who manage the system and the users who interact with

it, for that the research will focus on

i. Administrators Role for system updates and maintenance, holding control over user data

to ensure smooth operation.

ii. User-Focused Simplicity process involving sign-up, login, and input of monthly income

and expenses.

iii. Exploration of Reports by Users to explore generated reports, enhancing their

understanding of financial patterns.

iv. Reviewing past spending records by users and providing insights into their financial

history.

1.8.2 Limitations

i. This system can only be used by households as it includes only their expenses. And only

admin is allowed to manage the maintenance of the system.

ii. The system cannot be performed offline.

1.9 PROJECT ORGANIZATION

This research project covers almost all you need to know about drug procurement and

distribution tracking system.

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1.9.1 Chapter One: Chapter one is the introduction and it covers the statement of problem,

objectives of the study, significance of the study, scope and limitation of the study, and definition

of terms.

1.9.2 Chapter Two: Chapter two is the literature review; it gives the detailed meaning of every

associated word in my topic and reviews works related to the proposed project.

1.9.3 Chapter Three: Chapter three is the design and analysis; this involves the operation of

the existing system and the method used.

1.9.4 Chapter Four: Chapter four is the system design and implementation; which talked

about the operation of the proposed system.

1.9.5 Chapter Five: Chapter five is the summary, recommendation and conclusion.

1.10 DEFINITION OF TERMS

XAMPP: is a free and open-source software package that allows me to create and test web

applications on the local computer.

Cross-Platform: This means that XAMPP can run on different operating systems, such as

Windows, Linux, and Mac OS.

Apache: This is a web server that handles requests from web browsers and delivers web pages,

images, and other files to them.

Maria DB: This is a database management system that stores and retrieves data for web

applications. It is compatible with MySQL, which was previously used by XAMPP.

PHP and Perl: These are scripting languages that can be embedded in web pages and executed

by the web server. They are used to create dynamic and interactive web applications.

Database: A collection of logically related data to meet the information need of organization.

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DBMS: Database Management System is Software that enables the user to define, maintain

Control the database.

Application Program: A computer program that interacts with the database.

Dashboard: This is a list of options presented on the screen with each option identified by short

code followed by longer description of its purposes.

Flowchart: A diagram that shows connection between the different stages of process of the

system.

Primary Key: The candidate key that is selected to identify the individual within the relation

Foreign Key: An attribute or a set of attributes within one relation that matches the candidate

key

Relation: A relation is a named table with columns and rows

Attribute: An attributes is a named column of a relation

Domain: A set of allowable values for one or more table

Null: It represents a value for an attribute that is currently unknown or not applicable

Database design: The process of creating design that will support emprise mission statement

and mission required database e-system.

Software: These are program for computer which allows certain specific task to be

accomplished e.g. word process etc.

Hardware: Computer equipment used to perform input processing and system output activates.

Management information system: collection of people, database, and devices produced to use in

providing routine information to manager and decision makers of the organization.

Add expenses: This feature allows you to record your spending by entering the amount, date,

category, and description of each expense.

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View expenses: This feature allows you to see a summary of your expenses by day, week,

month, or year.

Manage expenses: This feature allows you to edit, delete, or archive your expenses,

Login: This feature allows you to access your account and data securely by entering your

username and password.

Signup: This feature allows you to create a new account and data by providing your personal

information, such as name, email, phone number, etc.

Logout: This feature allows you to exit your account and data securely by clicking a button or

closing the application

1.11 CONCLUSION

This chapter commenced by presenting the research and delving into the study's

background. It identified the problem statement and established the primary project objective.

The research objectives and the methodology to achieve them were outlined, and the project's

scope and limitations were emphasized. The subsequent chapter will center on an exploration of

management systems, defining their characteristics, evaluating the impact of Information

Technology (IT) on such systems, and reviewing comparable Household Expenditure

management systems.

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 CHAPTER TWO
LITERATURE REVIEW

2.0 INTRODUCTION

This chapter will be focusing on the work or research that is related either directly or

indirectly to this project. This part is very important for the development of the project as it

works as a guideline. It is an evaluative report of studies found in the literature that related to the

selected area. Besides, by studying and understanding the researches, it will help in determining

the best approach for the system development.

2.1 CONCEPTUAL FRAMEWORK

In this chapter, we will explore the definition of a Household Expenditure management

system and delve into the favorable impact that Information Technology has exerted on these

systems in recent years. Additionally, the chapter will pinpoint analogous drug management

systems, conducting a thorough examination of their respective features.

2.1.1 Management Information System

An information system (IS) is a formal, sociotechnical, organizational system designed to

collect, process, store, and distribute information. From a sociotechnical perspective, information

systems are composed by four components: task, people, structure (or roles), and technology.

Information systems can be defined as an integration of components for collection, storage and

processing of data of which the data is used to provide information, contribute to knowledge as

well as digital products that facilitate decision making (Bourgeois and David, 2014).

2.1.2. Benefits of Management Information System

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 Improve an organization's operational efficiency, add value to existing products,

engender innovation and new product development, and help managers make better decisions

(Delivering Business Analytics and Technology Solutions, 2017)

According to (Escapade Technologies, 2023), the following are some important points for having

a Management Information System:

 Making an effective decision management information system makes it possible for all

decision-makers.

 MIS systems can be used inside and outside the organization and employees inside the

organization are able to easily access the required information in their everyday

operations.

 SMS and Email in the organization make it possible to communicate with customers

from the MIS systems.

 Record Management, all the business transactions of an organization are recorded by

management information systems and provide a reference point for all transactions

2.2. COMPONENT OF A DATABASE MANAGEMENT SYSTEM

A database is the A collection of logically related information organized so that it can be

easily accessible, managed, and updated (Sebastian, 2015). Here are the five major components

of Database according to (Sebastian, 2015).

Hardware

Hardware refers to the physical, electronic devices such as computers and hard disks that

offer the interface between computers and real-world systems.

Software

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 Software is a set of programs used to manage and control the database and includes the

database software, operating system, network software used to share the data with other users,

and the applications used to access the data.

Data

Data are raw facts and information that need to be organized and processed to make it

more meaningful. Database dictionaries are used to centralize, document, control, and coordinate

the use of data within an organization. A database is a repository of information about a database

(also called metadata).

Procedures

Procedures refer to the instructions used in a database management system and

encompass everything from instructions to setup and install, login and logout, manage the day-

to-day operations, take backups of data, and generate reports.

Database Access Language

Database Access Language is a language used to write commands to access, update, and

delete data stored in a database. Users can write commands using Database Access Language

before submitting them to the database for execution. Through utilizing the language, users can

create new databases, tables, insert data, and delete data.

2.2.1 Computerization in Expenditure Management System

The Expenditure Management Information System (EMIS) collects contract, budget, and

expenditure information on the health sector in a Microsoft Access database. It produces

financial reports for the Ministry of Public Health (MoPH) and donors, as necessary (USAID

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Health System, 2011) (Public expenditure tracking system, 2021) Outlines the Public

expenditure tracking system (PETS) as a system that presents financial information that

enables stakeholders to track the source of money and where it is being dispensed. PETS also

allows the service users to reconcile incoming funds with expenditures. It is sometimes referred

to as "following the money". PETS are increasingly used at district level in countries

like Uganda and Tanzania to make budget flows transparent from local government to service

delivery agents. This management system can be incorporated into the Household Expenditure

Management system so that user can tract their transactions records without any issue.

2.3 DESIGN METHODOLOGY

Based on article (Hyndman & Alhanasoponlos, 2018), it discusses about regression

models. Basically, it holds a concept where we forecast the time series of interest at y-axis

assuming that it has a linear relationship with other time series at x-axis. The author also stated

that, the least squares principle provides a way of determining the coefficients effectively by

minimizing the sum of the squared errors.

A study carried out by author (Chen & Lee, 2019), it introduces tools and methods for

both finance and accounting that help with asset pricing, corporate finance, options and futures,

and conducting financial accounting research. How least square method works and implied in

financial forecasting is discussed. The author (Kumar and Mahto, 2013) applied several of

statistical time series models to observe forecast errors in the demand of juice production are

within the expected limit and to choose a forecasting technique which has a less relative error.

The author (Kumar, and Mahto, 2013) proved that Least Square Method is more accurate than

the others. Article Pal, Ramasubramania, and Mehta (2000) also did the study in order to forecast

milk production in India using statistical time series modeling- Double Exponential Smoothing

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and Auto-regressive Integrated Moving Average and concluded that Auto Regressive Integrated

Moving Average performed better.

In a paper studied by (Shen et al., 2016) explains that Batch-mode Least Squares SVM

(LSSVM) is often associated with unbounded number of support vectors (SVs). This makes it

unsuitable for applications if it involves large-scale streaming data.

In this paper (Shen et al., 2016), it explains how to train the limited-scale LSSVM

dynamically.

2.4 IMPORTANCE OF TRACKING SYSTEMS IN HOUSEHOLD EXPENDITURE

Tracking spending habits has several advantages that can help you achieve financial

stability. Here are some benefits (The Benefits of Tracking Your Spending Habits, n.d.):

Identifying Unnecessary Expenses: Tracking your expenses helps you identify areas where you

are spending too much money. It allows you to identify expenses that can be cut back, such as

dining out too frequently or buying expensive clothes. For example, if you see that you're

spending a significant amount of money on takeout food, you can start cooking at home more

often and save money.

Promoting Better Financial Planning and Budgeting: By tracking your spending, you get a

clear picture of your financial situation. This helps you to create a budget and plan your finances

better. When you have a clear idea of how much money you have coming in and going out, you

can allocate your funds better, pay off debts, and save for future expenses.

Helping in Achieving Financial Goals: Tracking your expenses can help you achieve your

financial goals. For instance, if you have a goal to buy a new car, you can track your expenses

and cut back on unnecessary expenses to save money for your purchase.

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Enabling Better Control over Your Finances: Tracking your expenses gives you better control

over your finances. You can monitor your spending and adjust your budget accordingly. For

instance, if you see that you're spending too much on entertainment, you can cut back on those

expenses and save that money for other things.

2.4 RELATED SOFTWARES FOR TRACKING EXPENSES

2.4.1 Mint

Mint, also known as Intuit Mint (styled in its logo as intuit mint with dotted 't' characters

in "intuit" and undotted 'i' characters) and formerly known as Mint.com, is a personal financial

management website and mobile app for the US and Canada produced by Intuit, Inc. (which also

produces TurboTax, QuickBooks, and Credit Karma), (TechCrunch, 2009). It was later renamed

from "Mint.com" to just "Mint". Mint's primary service allows users to track bank, credit card,

investment, and loan balances and transactions through a single user interface, as well as create

budgets and set financial goals (Mint.com, 2010). One of the most common existing software

that is related to this project is MINT. Mint was formally introduced in September 2007. it is a

server-based web, but this software also can be used using PC or smart-phone. Based on a

research from author, MINT is aware of users’ daily expense and if they have a future goal of

buying something, user can reduce your current spending according to it. Most importantly, it

keeps a track on users’ credit bills, home bills and savings. This budgeting software also will

notify users whenever users are due to pay a bill or payment. This will lower the chance for users

to forget to make payment.

2.4.2 YNAB (You Need a Budget: App for getting out of debt)

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 The application helps you break the paycheck to paycheck cycle, get out of debt. YNAB

is mainly focuses on how to get out of debt since budgeting is a powerful tool to help you spend

your money on the things that are most important to you and it happens to be key to getting out

of debt. It is a reasonably good implementation of zero-budget system. Where it falls short are

it's constant pushing of what they think is "right". UI changes are not great and hinder work-

flows; they implement because they thought it was a good idea. While the app has smooth

dashboard, it lacks some features from their website version. App does not offer a way to create

a passcode to lock the app. A major issue considering how sensitive the data already is. YNAB

has features like Real Time access to all your data, Debt Paydown—The tools and teaching you

need to help you get out of debt for good, reporting—Detailed, visual spending and trend reports

help you measure progress and improve. While dealing with credit card payments it is super

confusing, everything else is generally okay. There are some things that are just better to wait

until you can do on the site. The app is not free while it tips on how to get out of debt. YNAB

doesn't allow you to edit categories on the phone, and it hasn’t added this feature for years even

though users have asked for it. Also the app has compatibility issues with android version which

needs to be fixed. YNAB is solid and functional app but UX and UI is outdated and it's falling

behind the web version in terms of features.

2.4.3 Wally

Suitable for sort of person who would love to be as organized with personal expense

tracking as you are with your expense reports at work, you'll love the totally free Wally app.

Instead of manually logging your expenses at the end of the day (or week or month), Wally lets

you simply take a photo of your receipts. And if you use geolocation on your device, it even fills

in that info, saving you several steps. Wally is a clean, streamlined app that's extremely

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convenient and easy to use. It's a great choice if you'd like more insight into where your money is

going. The biggest negative of Wally is it’s not particularly easy to navigate at first. It saves the

locations where you shop often so you can enter them quickly in the future. Wally isn’t as user-

friendly as it could be. It took some digging through the user tips manual to figure out the app.

You can assign recurring income and expenses. The review section for expense analysis is

limited. You can take photos of receipts to store them. Wally doesn’t link to your actual financial

accounts. What your app says and the money you physically have in the bank may not match up

if you forget to put an expense in. There’s a review section where you get a very basic overview

of your spending habits. Free version lacks essential features and interface is unnecessarily

complicated and crowded with multiple redundant functions.

2.4 CONCLUSION

In conclusion, the reviewed literatures have reshaped the study, giving more insight on

some methods, software’s that have being used in managing Expenditures. It has also outlined

the various components of Database and why Tracking of Expenses is very important to Home

owners. The next chapter will be discussing about system analysis and Design Methodology,

prototyping and model of the new system.

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 CHAPTER THREE
METHODOLOGY

3.1 INTRODUCTION

In this chapter, it will be discussing about the methodology chosen in order to develop

Expenses Tracker System. A few methodologies have been taken into consideration such as

Structured System Analysis and Design Methodology (SSADM) is adopted. Due to this fact,

there is importance of carrying out a thorough, adequate and completely comprehensive

evaluation of the existing system with a view top identifying its strengths and weakness.

3.2 STRUCTURED SYSTEM ANALYSIS AND DESIGN METHODOLOGY

(SSADM)

This project work is developed with this methodology (SSADM). The pragmatic system

analysis and design methodology consist of investigation of the present system, definition of the

new system, establishment of constraints and system analysis documentation which should

provide the following.

a) Cost/ Benefit/Schedule report for each suitable system

b) Database requirement

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 c) Physical requirement of hardware and personnel

d) Conversion requirement.

This methodology (SSADM) involves: developments such as system flow chart, Job steps,

Program narratives which enhances organization for computer execution

a) Prototype Methodology

b) Object Oriented Analysis and Design Methodology

c) Pragmatic System Analysis and Design Methodology.

3.2.1 Prototyping

A prototyping methodology is a methodology in a software development process which

allows developers to greater portions of the solution to demonstrate functionality and make

needed refinements before development the final solution. It is somewhat similar; it produces a

“throw away” solution that is designed for the sole purpose of verifying user functionality 5and

for demonstration capability. Prototyping is an excellent way for the development term to

confirm understanding of the requirements and ensure that the proposed solution is consistent

with business expectation. This type of methodology is normally used or work very well with

online transaction processing system (TPS) WEB BASED Development and also very useful for

confirming business intelligence analytic requirement. Some of its services steps or age of a

classical computer system are:

i. Problem recognition/identification

ii. Feasibility study

iii. Analysis

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iv. Implementation

v. Testing

vi. Maintenance

The implementation stage of the system development process involves program coding.

Testing and debugging, conversion, trading and hand over. While maintenance deals with

ensuring the system is operational after change over form old system to new system.

3.3 OBJECTIVES OF STRUCTURED SYSTEM ANALYSIS AND DESIGN

METHODOLOGY
SSADM was developed with the following objectives:

i. Ensure that projects can successfully continue should a loss of staff occur without a

damaging effect on the project. Improve the way in which projects are controlled and

managed.

ii. Allow more effective use of experienced and inexperienced staff and their development.

iii. Make it possible for projects to be supported by computer based tools e.g. computer-aided

software engineering systems.

3.4 STEPS IN STRUCTURED SYSTEMS ANALYSIS AND DESIGN METHODOLOGY

SSADM is a waterfall view approach whereby there are sequences of events that run in

series and each step leads on from the last. There are five steps in total, and each step can be

broken down further.

i. Feasibility study– To determine whether it is cost effective to go ahead with the

system and whether it is actually possible.

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 ii. Requirements Analysis– Identifying of the requirements and needs of the system and

modeling these needs in terms of the processes carried out.

iii. Requirements Specification– The functional and nonfunctional requirements are

identified in detail.

iv. Logical System Specification– Technical systems options are created and the logical

design of the system created. This includes the design of update and enquiry

processing.

v. Physical Design– The logical system specification and technical system. Specification

is used to design a physical database and set of program specifications.

3.5 THE ORGANIZATION AND ITS ENVIRONMENT

The efficient and vibrant Road Transport System in a State is the most essential

ingredient for the long-term socio-economic and cultural prosperities. It has direct bearing on the

quality of the live of the people. With enormous implications embodied, the efficacies of road

transport system are inextricably linked with the types and extent of regulatory, management and

administrative setup in the State.

3.6 ANALYSIS OF THE EXISTING SYSTEM

In existing, we need to maintain the Excel sheets, CSV etc. files for the user daily and

monthly expenses. In existing, there is no as such complete solution to keep a track of its daily

expenditure easily. To do so a person as to keep a log in a diary or in a computer, also all the

calculations needs to be done by the user which may sometimes results in errors leading to

losses.

3.7 WEAKNESSES OF THE EXISTING SYSTEM

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 There can be many disadvantages of using a manual accounting system. Accounting, for

any business, can be a complex undertaking. A manual accounting system requires you to

understand the accounting process in a way that may be unnecessary with a computerized

accounting system. This can be an advantage or a disadvantage, depending on the person doing

the bookkeeping; often, a specially trained professional is needed to ensure that accounting is

done properly. Unraveling the complexity of your financial records by hand may be time

consuming. Since it takes time to generate reports.

3.8 ANALYSIS OF THE NEW SYSTEM

To reduce manual calculations, we propose an application. This application allows users

to maintain a digital automated diary. Each user will be required to register on the system at

registration time, the user will be provided id, which will be used to maintain the record of each

unique user. Expense Tracker application which will keep a track of Income-Expense of a user

on a day to day basis. The best organizations have a way of tracking and handling these

reimbursements. This ideal practice guarantees that the expenses tracked are accurately and in a

timely manner. From a company perspective, timely settlements of these expenses when tracked

well will certainly boost employees' morale. Additional feature of Expense and income

prediction helps to better budget management.

3.9 ADVANTAGES OF THE PROPOSED SYSTEM

i. The best organizations have a way of tracking and handling these reimbursements. This

ideal practice guarantees that the expenses tracked are accurately and in a timely manner.

From a company perspective, timely settlements of these expenses when tracked well

will certainly boost employees' morale.

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 ii. Financially Aware and Improve Money Management tracking your expenditures ensures

you achieve your project financial targets. How is that? By clearly understanding your

project spending using project budget limits, you can aptly make the necessary changes to

complete your project within time and budget.

iii. Helps anticipate the costs of similar projects When you formally track and report

expenses, you have a permanent documentation which helps you correctly anticipate

expenses for similar projects in the future. This is even more significant when it comes to

budget-making process.

3.10 HIGH LEVEL MODEL OF THE NEW SYSTEM

The framework for Expenses Tracker System includes Admin, User, Database and the

system itself. Based on Figure 3.2 below, it shows the flow of how the system works in general

where users can input their income, expense and budget to the system and all the data will be

stored in the database. From the database, the data will be analyzed and new report and budget

will be generated.

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 Fig 3.0: High Level Model of the New System

3.11 PROPOSED SYSTEM REQUIREMENT

The hardware and software requirements for setting up the new system are mentioned in the next

section

4.11.1 Hardware Requirement

Computer hardware requirements are the physical components or resources that a

software needs to run on a computer. Different software may have different minimum and

recommended requirements, depending on their features and functions. Some of the common

hardware requirements are:

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Processor: The central processing unit (CPU) that executes the instructions of the software. The

processor’s speed and number of cores affect its performance and compatibility with the

software.

Memory: The random access memory (RAM) that stores the data and programs that are

currently in use by the software. The more memory a software needs, the faster and smoother it

can run.

Storage: The secondary storage device that holds the files and data of the software permanently.

The storage capacity and type (such as hard disk drive or solid state drive) affect the loading and

installation time of the software.

Peripherals: The external devices that provide input or output for the software, such as

keyboard, mouse, printer, scanner, etc. The peripherals’ compatibility and functionality depend

on the drivers and ports that are available on the computer. These are some of the basic

hardware requirements that most software have. However, some software may also have specific

or additional requirements, such as system firmware, trusted platform module, network

connection, etc. You should always check the system requirements of the software you want to

use before installing or running it on your computer.

The following minimum hardware requirements need to be in place for the system to function,

Computer and Processor 64 Bit Operating System, x64- Based Processor

Memory 2 GB RAM Minimum

Storage 80 GB ROM Minimum

Table3.1: Hardware Requirement

4.11.2 Software Requirement

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 The software is a collection of different programs that direct and manage the computer

hardware components. The minimum software requirements for this system are:

Operating System Supported Versions: Windows 8, 10

Programming Language PHP, MYSQL Saver

Text Editor Visual studio code

Web Browser (e.g Chrome, Firefox)
Table 3.2: Software Requirement

i. Operating System (Windows operating system, Unix, Linux, etc.)

ii. Web browser (e.g. Internet Explorer, Chrome, Firefox etc.)

iii. Xamppserver (For local access only).

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 CHAPTER FOUR
SYSTEM DESIGN AND IMPLEMENTATION

4.1 INTRODUCTION

This chapter will cover the implementation and the result of using least square method to

ensure that the system is develop according to the main objectives and achieve user requirement

also to make sure the system is running smoothly with error-free.

4.2 CONTROL CENTRE / MAIN MENU

The main menu consists of three major components which include the login, registration

and the home pages. The flowchart diagram is illustrated below.

Figure 4.0 Main Menu Chart

4.3 DATABASE DEVELOPMENT TOOL

MYSQL is a database server that is ideal for both small and large application like, the project of

this type. It supports standard SQL and it compiles on a number of platforms.

4.4 DATABASE DESIGN AND STRUCTURE

The database system that will be used to store the information for this system will be the

MySQL database system. Show below is the descriptions and structure of the database files to be

used by the system:

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a. Input Format: This refers to the selection of best strategy for getting data into the

computer system at the right time and as accurate as possible. Input errors can be greatly

reduced when inputting directly by using appropriate forms for data capture and well-

designed computer screen layout.

Login

SYSTEM USER

Username
:Password:

Login Cancel

Fig: 4.1 input format

b. Output Format: Output format involves specifying how production of on-screen

reports and paper-based reports will occur. The output design was based on the

inputs. The report generated gives a meaningful report to the management.

Staff Biodata

SYSTEM USER

StaffID:
StaffName:
StaffAddress
Email:
Phone No:
Position:
Department:

Save Cancel

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 Figure 4.2: Staff Biodata Interface

4.5 SYSTEM FLOWCHART

A flowchart is a type of diagram that represents an algorithm, workflow or process,

showing the steps as boxes of various kinds, and their order by connecting them with arrows.

The flowcharts of the proposed system are presented below.

4.5.1 Context Diagram

The figure 3.2 shows the main process flow of how Expenses Tracker works. There two

entities involved, Admin and User. The role of Admin is that they can manage the data of the

user and do the maintenance. Meanwhile, user is required to register their profile in order to use

the system. User is allowed to input their income and expenses.

LEVEL 0

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 Figure 4.3 Context Diagram of the system

LEVEL 1

Based on Figure below there are six processes involve in Admin module. Admin can be

login to the system as a first step to get into the system. After login, process that involves admin

is Manage Income, Manage Expenses, Forecast Budget and Generate Report from the system. At

the end on the process, admin can logout from the system.

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 Figure 4.4 DFD Levels 1 for Admin

4.6 ENTITIES RELATIONSHIP DIAGRAM (ERD)

ERD is a data modeling technique that creates a graphical representation of the entities

and the relationships within a system. Figure 3.10 below shows the entities involved in Expenses

Tracker System and its relationships. There are several entities which are user, admin, expenses,

income, budget and category.

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 Figure 4.5 Entities Relationship Diagram (ERD)

4.7 SYSTEM IMPLEMENTATION

The method that is used to implement this system will be the Parallel Running system.

The system is highly fault tolerant, new system available immediately but very expensive.

Steps involved are shown below:

i. Leave the old system running.

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 ii. Switch the new system on using extra staff to run it.

iii. Do everything twice, one on the old system and one on the new system.

iv. Continue to run both systems with twice the staff and twice the work until the new

system is working properly.

v. Switch off the old system.

Due to high cost and doubling of work this is only really done if the system being

replaced is so important that a failure would cause catastrophic problems e.g air traffic. Since the

current system of interaction cannot be phased out completely without causing collateral damage

to the university community, the implementation approach that will be used will be the Parallel

Running plan.

4.8 PROGRAM DEVELOPMENT

Choice of programming language:
Since the project is developed for computer running the windows operating system. The

web application is designed using the PHP Programming Language and of course MYSQL

server for database backend development.

a) PHP Programming Language

PHP is a server-side scripting language designed for Web development. It runs on the

ever and generally cannot run on its own unless in response to an event. It is designed for use

with HTML such that when invoked. PHP Version 5.6.21 is used for the program.

4.9 IMPLEMENTATION APPROACH

The method that is used to implement this system will be the Parallel Running system.

The system is highly fault tolerant, new system available immediately but very expensive.

Steps involved are shown below:

i. Leave the old system running.

32
 ii. Switch the new system on using extra staff to run it.

iii. Do everything twice, one on the old system and one on the new system.

iv. Continue to run both systems with twice the staff and twice the work until the new

system is working properly.

v. Switch off the old system.

Due to high cost and doubling of work this is only really done if the system being

replaced is so important that a failure would cause catastrophic problems e.g air traffic. Since the

current system of interaction cannot be phased out completely without causing collateral damage

to the university community, the implementation approach that will be used will be the Parallel

Running plan.

4.10 SYSTEM TESTING

The system is tested in two phases (unit testing and system testing).

a. Testing Plan

A unit test is also called a module test because it tests the individual unit of the code that

comprises the application. A series of stand-alone tests are conducted during Unit Testing. Each

test examines an individual component that is new or has been modified by removing bugs

during the development phases.

b. Testing Data.

System Testing tests all components and modules to see how they work together or how

they interact with each other. The testing is done by running the application of the developer

computer using a factious data and has a smooth running as shown in the screen.

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4.11 SYSTEM CONVERSION
a. Changeover Procedure

As already stated in the introduction aspect of this chapter, the existing system and the

new system may be run concurrently, using the same inputs. The outputs of the existing system

continue to be distributed until the new system has proved satisfactory. Alternatively, the

existing system may be discontinued completely and the new system becomes operational

immediately.

b. Recommended Procedure

Step 1: Click on the xammp icon on the desktop to start the xammp.

Step 2: Open a web browser to load the url.

Step 3: Enter the index.php, which is the url for the system.

Step 4: Press “Enter” to load the home page.

4.12 DESIGN INTERFACE

A system design interface is the part of the system that allows users to interact with it. It

consists of the elements that provide navigation, data input, and output for the system. For

example, Household Expenditure Management System includes buttons, menus, forms, and

charts.

System design interface is an important aspect of system design, which is the process of

defining the architecture, components, and data for a system that meets specific requirements.

System design involves applying various principles and patterns to create scalable, reliable, and

efficient systems.

4.12.1 Register/Sign up page

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 User should insert all information needed as shown in the Figure 4.2 so that the system

will save a record for the user in the database. After all is done, then user can perform the login

function

Figure 4.6 Sign up page

4.12.2 Login page

The figure above shows that the user needs to insert their registered email and password.

If these two are correct then user can successfully login to the system. Otherwise, user needs to

re-enter the required information or sign up to a new account.

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 Figure 4.7: Login page

4.12.3 Dashboard

This displays various information and metrics related to the expenses of an individual or

a household. It can help users to track, analyze, and optimize their spending habits and patterns.

Once the user successfully login, a dashboard will be displayed. It will show a summary of the

user’s spending.

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 Figure 4.8: Dashboard Page

4.12.4 Expense Page

As shown in Figure user needs to enter the details of their expense such as the item, the

cost of each item and the date. Everything will be saved in the database. Then the expense

entered just now will be shown in a list form. User can delete the record if they wish to do so.

Figure 4.9: Expense Page

4.12.5 Manage Expense Page

As shown in the figure below, this page will show how admin will manage daily

expenses

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By showing every expenses made by a user. A manage expense page can help users to simplify

and streamline their expense management process, reduce errors and fraud, and comply with

company policies and tax regulations

Figure 4.10: Manage Expense Page

4.12.6 Expense Report Page

As shown in the figure below, this page will display the amount of expenses made by the

user. An expense report page is a web page that allows users to create, submit, and manage their

expense reports. An expense report is a form that lists all the purchases made by a user or a

household in a specific time period. An expense report page can help users to:

1. Record and categorize the expenses by date, amount, project, etc.

2. Attach receipts and other supporting documents to their expenses

3. Review expense reports

4. Track the status and history of expenses

5. Export and print their expense reports for accounting and tax purposes

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 Figure 4.11: Expense Report Page

SUMMARY: The management system help you get a handle on your finances by uncovering

where your money goes, helping you to understand your net worth and budget accurately. I have

found some articles that might help you with your request:

CHAPTER FIVE
SUMMARY, RECOMMENDATIONS FOR FUTURE WORKS AND CONCLUSION

5.0 INTRODUCTION

This chapter brings to an end this research work. The chapter will summarize all the

previous chapters and re-state the problem statement together with the objective and solution to

all sub objectives. In chapter one, the problem statement is as follows: There is an urgent need to

develop an advanced online budget planner with user-friendly features to streamline ongoing

maintenance and cater to users with varying financial literacy levels. Subsequent chapters tried to

address this problem by reviewing literatures, gathering requirements, designing and developing

the prototype, and finally testing and evaluation of the proposed solution.

5.1 SUMMARY OF FINDINGS

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 Providing a thorough overview, this chapter encapsulates various dimensions of the

project, addressing its contribution, limitations, and potential avenues for improvement.

The Household Expenditure Management System emerges as a robust solution,

empowering users with effective tools for detailed financial planning and control. Noteworthy

achievements include successful budget management, detailed reports on income and expenses,

and adherence to predefined spending plans.

At the core of the system's success is a user-friendly interface, ensuring accessibility for

staff members. It systematically enhances financial management processes, facilitates future

budget planning, and employs the least square method to guarantee the reliability of monthly

reports. Acknowledging limitations such as password retrieval challenges and restricted report

evaluation capabilities, the system still provides valuable insights into budget, income, and

expenses, albeit separately. This recognition points toward potential enhancements, particularly

in presenting a more comprehensive overview through the integration of charts.

In a note shell, the Household Expenditure Management System project excels in

efficiently recording day-to-day expenditures, outshining other income and expense trackers

through its user-friendly design. By eliminating manual calculations, it proves to be a proficient

tool for monthly financial tracking, contributing to a more informed and strategic approach to

financial management.

5.1.1 Accomplishment of Objectives

This section will briefly discuss how the sub-objectives were accomplished and how it

collectively meets the primary objective. This section will further mention how the primary

objectives comprehensively addressed the problem statement in chapter one.

5.1.2 Objectives

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 As mentioned in chapter one, the aim of this research is to improve the overall usability

and functionality of the Household Expenditure Management System, providing valuable

insights for enhanced financial planning and well-being.

These objectives were to:

i. To identify the interfaces for easy user access to the Household Expenditure

Management System.

ii. To identify a systematic system to enhance users' financial management capabilities.

iii. To Assess future budget planning through the implementation of the system.

iv. To Test and evaluate the system's reliability in generating monthly reports.

5.2 RECOMMENDATIONS FOR FUTURE WORKS

In the context of future enhancements, it is recommended to broaden the system's

reporting options by incorporating graphical representations like bar or line graphs. This visual

enhancement aims to offer users a clearer and more consolidated perspective on their financial

data. To augment the system's utility, consider integrating online payment functionality. This

addition would streamline financial transactions, transforming the system into a more

comprehensive and versatile financial management tool.

Furthermore, exploring the integration of real-time data updates is advisable. This feature

would provide users with the most current financial information, facilitating more informed

decision-making and allowing for immediate adjustments to financial plans. In addition to this,

enhancing accessibility is suggested by developing a mobile application for the system. This

would empower users to manage their finances on-the-go, ensuring flexibility and convenience

while maintaining a seamless experience across different devices.

5.3 CONCLUSION

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 In conclusion, the Household Expenditure Management System has demonstrated

effectiveness in financial planning and control. Notable accomplishments include precise budget

management and detailed income and expense reports. The suggested enhancements, spanning

graphical reporting, online payment integration, real-time data updates, and mobile accessibility,

anticipate a more comprehensive and user-friendly future for the system. The ongoing evolution

of the system promises continual relevance and enhanced user satisfaction in the realm of

financial management.

5.4 FUTURE WORK

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