Build an Expense Tracker with Functions in Python

Level: Real World

Your task for today is to build a function-based expense tracker that records and summarizes spending. This real-world project teaches you how to manage data with lists, design modular functions, and export results — skills that are useful in everyday automation and productivity tools.

📝 Project Task

The program should:

• Use a list of dictionaries to store expense records (e.g., {"description": "Lunch", "amount": 12.50}).

• Define the following functions:

  • add_expense(description, amount) → adds an expense to the log

  • list_expenses() → prints all expenses in a readable table

  • total_expenses() → returns the sum of all amounts

  • export_to_csv(filename) → saves the expenses to a .csv file

• Use a loop to let the user choose actions: Add, List, Total, Export, or Quit.

Bonus (optional):

• Add a timestamp to each expense.

• Format currency to 2 decimal places.

• Support categories for each entry (e.g., Food, Travel, Bills).

• Save/load expenses from file on program start.

This is a practical app you can actually use — and it reinforces important skills like function design, loops, conditionals, and basic file I/O.

📌 Expected Output

Example interaction:

---

💬 Join the Weekly Python Chat

Need help or want to share what you built? Join this week’s Python Chat Thread to:

• Ask questions

• Share your solution

• Get feedback

• Find study partners

---

💻 Launch This Project in Colab

Open the interactive Google Colab notebook for today’s project — with full instructions, hints, and solutions.

Click the button below to start coding — no setup needed: