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Chamber
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Getting Started

Getting Started with Chamber

Welcome to Chamber! This guide will help you set up and start using Chamber to track your finances.

What is Chamber?

Chamber is an AI-powered financial tracker that helps you:

  • Track daily expenses and categorize them
  • Monitor bank accounts, investments, and cash
  • Keep track of money you've lent to others
  • Manage subscriptions and recurring payments
  • Add expenses via Telegram with AI-powered receipt parsing
  • View analytics and insights about your spending

First-Time Setup

1. Sign Up / Sign In

  1. Visit the Chamber web app
  2. Click "Get Started" or "Sign In"
  3. Create an account using:
    • Email and password
    • Google account
    • GitHub account
    • Or other supported providers

2. Complete Your Profile

After signing in:

  1. Go to Settings (accessible from the sidebar)
  2. Set your preferred currency (INR, USD, EUR, GBP)
  3. Set your monthly budget (optional but recommended)

3. Add Your First Account

Before tracking expenses, add at least one account:

  1. Go to Accounts from the sidebar
  2. Click "Add Account"
  3. Choose account type:
    • Bank - Savings or checking accounts
    • Investment - Stocks, mutual funds, etc.
    • Wallet - Digital wallets
    • Cash - Physical cash
    • Other - Any other type
  4. Enter account name and current balance
  5. Save

Core Workflows

Adding an Expense

Method 1: Web App

  1. Click the "+" button or go to Expenses
  2. Click "Add Expense"
  3. Fill in details:
    • Amount
    • Category (Food, Travel, Bills, etc.)
    • Description
    • Date
    • Payment method (select from your accounts)
  4. Optionally upload a receipt (image or PDF)
  5. Save

Method 2: Telegram Bot

  1. Link your Telegram account (see Telegram Bot Guide)
  2. Send a message like: "Spent $50 on groceries"
  3. The AI will parse and create the expense automatically
  4. You can also send receipt photos for AI parsing

Tracking Account Balances

  1. Go to Accounts
  2. Click on any account
  3. Click "Update Balance"
  4. Enter new balance and optionally add a note
  5. Save

Your balance history will be tracked over time, and you can view graphs showing changes.

Monitoring Loans

  1. Go to Loans
  2. Click "Add Loan"
  3. Enter borrower details and amount lent
  4. Save

When you receive repayments:

  1. Click on the loan
  2. Click "Add Repayment"
  3. Enter amount received
  4. Save

The loan status updates automatically (Pending → Partial → Completed).

Managing Subscriptions

  1. Go to Subscriptions
  2. Click "Add Subscription"
  3. Enter:
    • Service name
    • Amount
    • Billing cycle (Weekly, Monthly, Quarterly, Yearly)
    • Next billing date
  4. Save

Chamber will track when payments are due and can send alerts.

Understanding Your Dashboard

The Dashboard provides an overview:

  • Net Worth - Total across all accounts
  • Total Spent - Expenses this month
  • Remaining Budget - Budget minus expenses (excluding investments)
  • Recent Expenses - Last 5 expenses
  • Expense Calendar - Visual calendar showing daily spending
  • Category Breakdown - Pie chart of spending by category
  • Balance History - Graph showing account balance trends

Next Steps

Tips for Success

  1. Add expenses daily - Don't let them pile up
  2. Use categories consistently - Helps with accurate analytics
  3. Upload receipts - Keep records for tax or reimbursement
  4. Update account balances weekly - Stay on top of your net worth
  5. Review your dashboard - Check spending patterns regularly

Need help? Check the FAQ or Troubleshooting Guide.