Field Notes

Notes from the garden

Quiet, practical writing on private money — budgeting, tax-deductible moments, importing your statements, and tending your wealth like a garden.

Written by one person, in the first person, about the decisions behind a local-first finance app: why your ledger lives on your device, how bank sync can be read-only, and what “free forever” has to mean for the model to be honest. If you're looking for the evergreen guides instead, start with privacy-first personal finance, what local-first means, why we never sell your data, importing a bank statement, or the comparisons with Mint and Actual Budget.

October 12, 2026

Why fintech apps push high interest personal loans

I built Misto without ads or affiliate deals. Here's why most free finance apps turn into loan engines—and what I chose instead.

October 10, 2026

I built Misto's Financial so I cannot read your transactions. Here's how true zero-knowledge encryption works—and why most apps don't actually do it.

October 10, 2026

I built Misto's so your transaction data stays on your device. No aggregators, no ads, no selling. Read how.

October 5, 2026

I built a ledger that flags recurring charges instantly. Here's how to audit your monthly subscriptions and kill zombie billing in 15 minutes.

October 4, 2026

How I built on-device AI categorization to protect your bank privacy. No cloud, no third-party data brokers. Free at mistosfinancial.com.

September 30, 2026

I built Misto without Plaid. Here's why aggregator pricing makes solo founders choose between sustainability and viability—and what I did instead.

September 29, 2026

I built Misto's Financial alone. Here's why it's realistic in 2026, and what I'd do differently.

September 28, 2026

I launched Misto's alone in September 2026. Here's what mattered on launch day and what I'd change if I did it again.

September 26, 2026

I built Misto's Financial to be calming, not stressful. Here's why most budgeting apps feel punishing, and how I designed around that.

August 1, 2026

As a solo founder, I absorbed lessons from Mint shutting down. Misto's prioritizes your privacy. Join the waitlist for a calmer finance app.