AI agent: expense tracker in Google Sheets and n8n chat

For Google Sheets, track your expenses effortlessly via chat. Simply send a message like "car wash; 59.3 usd; 25 jan 2024," and the AI agent will convert it into structured data, saving it as a new row in your spreadsheet. Enjoy automated organization of your financial records with real-time updates and easy access to your expense history.

7/8/2025
10 nodes
Medium
manualmediumlangchainexecuteworkflowtriggersticky notegooglesheets
Categories:
Manual TriggeredData Processing & AnalysisBusiness Process AutomationMedium Workflow
Integrations:
LangChainExecuteWorkflowTriggerSticky NoteGoogleSheets

Target Audience

Target Audience


- Freelancers: Individuals managing multiple small expenses who need an efficient way to track spending.
- Small Business Owners: Entrepreneurs looking to streamline their expense tracking and reporting.
- Accountants: Professionals who need to ensure accurate and timely recording of expenses.
- Students: Those managing personal finances and wanting to keep track of their spending habits.

Problem Solved

Problem Solved


This workflow addresses the challenge of manual expense tracking. It automates the process of converting chat messages into structured JSON data, allowing users to save expenses directly into Google Sheets without the need for manual entry. This saves time, reduces errors, and provides a clear record of expenditures.

Workflow Steps

Workflow Steps


1. Trigger: The workflow is initiated when a chat message is received.
2. AI Agent: An AI agent interprets the chat message, extracting relevant details about the expense.
3. Expense Parsing: The input message (e.g., car wash; 59.3 usd; 25 jan 2024) is parsed into structured data, identifying key attributes such as cost (e.g., 59.3), description (e.g., car wash), and date (e.g., 2024-01-25).
4. Data Saving: The parsed data is then saved into a Google Sheets document, creating a new row for each expense.
5. Confirmation: The user receives a confirmation message indicating that their expense has been successfully saved, along with the output of the saved data.

Customization Guide

Customization Guide


- Google Sheets Setup: Users can clone the provided Google Sheets template to customize their expense tracking layout and categories.
- Expense Parsing: Modify the parsing logic in the Expense text to JSON parser node to accommodate different formats or additional attributes.
- AI Agent Configuration: Adjust the system message in the AI Agent node to change how the AI interprets expense messages, tailoring responses to specific needs.
- Adding New Nodes: Users can enhance the workflow by adding new nodes for additional functionalities, such as sending notifications or generating reports.