Log transactions and get budget reports from photos on Telegram

Send a receipt photo to Telegram to log it in Firefly III, or ask for an instant budget report.

How the work actually flows

It branches. Exactly one path is taken.

Pattern: Exclusive Choice (4)

flowchart TD trig>"message sent to bot"]:::trig s0["receive telegram message"]:::svc s1["check message type"]:::task trig --> s0 s0 --> s1 gx{"× receipt photo or report request"}:::gate s1 --> gx p00["read receipt with AI"]:::task gx -->|"receipt photo"| p00 p01["log transaction"]:::task p00 --> p01 p10["pull budget status"]:::task gx -->|"report request"| p10 p11["send report file"]:::task p10 --> p11 p01 --> out p11 --> out out[/"transaction logged or report delivered"/]:::out pay{{"less manual budget tracking"}}:::pay out --> pay classDef task fill:#e7f6fe,stroke:#34b8f0,color:#2c2a29 classDef svc fill:#f6f8fa,stroke:#7c8795,color:#2c2a29 classDef mi fill:#e7f6fe,stroke:#0079a8,color:#2c2a29,stroke-width:2px classDef human fill:#fff,stroke:#0079a8,color:#0079a8 classDef store fill:#f6f8fa,stroke:#0079a8,color:#2c2a29 classDef trig fill:#00a4eb,stroke:#0079a8,color:#fff,font-weight:bold classDef trigtime fill:#00a4eb,stroke:#0079a8,color:#fff,font-weight:bold classDef trigdata fill:#8ad4f5,stroke:#0079a8,color:#06314c,font-weight:bold classDef gate fill:#fff,stroke:#e8a23d,color:#6b4708,font-weight:bold classDef out fill:#1f9d6b,stroke:#167a53,color:#fff,font-weight:bold classDef pay fill:#06314c,stroke:#021f33,color:#fff
Starts itA stepAn outside serviceOne path onlyResultPayoff
Build size
Advanced

A larger build with multiple systems, AI reasoning, and custom rules.

Business functions
AI Agents & Autonomous SystemsMessaging & NotificationsDocument Processing & OCRImage & Media ProcessingReporting & AnalyticsFinance & Accounting
Connects
TelegramGoogle GeminiFirefly III

The problem it solves

Manually entering every purchase into your budgeting tool takes time you do not have, and checking how much budget you have left means opening the app and digging through categories. It is easy to fall behind on tracking spending.

Who it fits

Individuals or small teams managing their own budget in Firefly III.

How it works

  1. You send a photo of a receipt or statement to your Telegram bot
  2. AI reads the image and identifies the accounts, amounts, and categories
  3. The transaction is posted directly into your Firefly III budgeting tool
  4. Sending the word 'Report' pulls your current budget status for the month
  5. You receive the report as a file right in Telegram
What you get

Receipts logged without opening a spreadsheet

You can snap a photo of a receipt and have it logged into your budget instantly, with reports available on request.

What you get

Logged transactions in Firefly III and an on-demand spreadsheet budget report in Telegram.

What you need

A Telegram bot, a Google Gemini API key, and a Firefly III instance with API access.

We can build this. But should you?

The hard question is not how to build it. It is whether this is the right thing to build first.

That is what a Fractional Chief AI Officer figures out with you, before anyone writes a line of code.

Let's Talk Strategy

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