Grocery Receipt Tracker

A database application to track your grocery receipts (PDF/email format) and monitor price evolution over time.

Overview

This project helps you:

• Import and store your grocery receipts from email attachments or PDF files
• Extract item details and prices from receipt images/PDFs
• Track price changes for the same items across different stores and over time
• Analyze spending patterns and identify price trends
• Compare costs to find the best deals and optimize your shopping habits

Features

• Import receipts from email attachments or PDF files
• Extract item details and prices using OCR technology
• Store receipt details (date, store, items, prices, total)
• Track price evolution for the same items over time
• Compare prices for the same items across different stores
• Visualize price changes with charts and graphs
• Generate reports on spending patterns and savings opportunities

Storage Options

When storing your grocery receipt data, you have several options:

CSV Files

Advantages:

• Simple, human-readable format
• Easy to share and import into other tools (Excel, Google Sheets)
• No database software required
• Good for small datasets

Disadvantages:

• No data validation or constraints
• Difficult to query across multiple files
• Performance degrades with large datasets
• No built-in concurrency support
• Not ideal for tracking relationships between data (e.g., items to receipts)

SQLite Database

Advantages:

• Lightweight, serverless database engine
• Single file storage (easy to backup and transfer)
• Supports SQL queries for complex analysis
• ACID compliant for data integrity
• No separate database server required
• Excellent for desktop/local applications

Disadvantages:

• Limited concurrent write access
• Not suitable for multi-user web applications
• Database size can grow with large datasets

PostgreSQL/MySQL Database

Advantages:

• Robust, enterprise-grade database systems
• Excellent for multi-user applications
• Advanced querying capabilities
• Strong concurrency support
• Scalable for large datasets

Disadvantages:

• Requires separate database server setup
• More complex configuration
• Overkill for personal/local use cases

Recommendation for This Project

For tracking personal grocery receipts with price comparison features, SQLite is the recommended option. It provides the benefits of a proper database (structured queries, data integrity, relationships) while remaining simple to set up and maintain as a single file.

Getting Started

1. Clone this repository
2. Install dependencies: pip install -r requirements.txt
3. Set up the SQLite database: python manage.py migrate
4. Start the application: python manage.py runserver
5. Import your first receipt by uploading a PDF or forwarding an email receipt

The application will create a db.sqlite3 file in the project directory to store your receipt data.

Usage

• Upload your grocery receipts (PDF or email attachments)
• The system will extract item details and prices using OCR
• View your receipt history and price tracking dashboard
• Use the comparison tools to analyze price changes over time
• Export reports for analysis or sharing

Contributing

We welcome contributions! Please read our contributing guidelines before submitting pull requests.

License

This project is licensed under the MIT License - see the LICENSE file for details.