Where to go from here?
Investing in Myself: Growing My Website and Personal Finance Dashboard
I’m proud of this website. It’s more than just a platform; it’s an asset I’ve built for myself—one that I can refine and grow over time. As I advance in my career and personal projects, this site can evolve with me, showcasing my skills, ideas, and accomplishments. It’s a space I own and control, a true reflection of me.
The Marines have a saying, “This is my rifle. There are many like it, but this one is mine.” Here’s my version: This is my website. There are many like it, but this one is mine.
That sense of ownership drives me to keep iterating and improving. I see this website as an investment in myself, not just as a digital resume or portfolio, but as a place to host meaningful projects like my latest endeavor: a Personal Finances Dashboard.
The Financial Dashboard: A Starting Point
Let’s talk about my personal finances project. The current dashboard is my MVP—the Minimum Viable Product. It’s basic, but it’s a start, and it represents so much more than just the data it displays.
Here’s what I’ve achieved with the first version:
Built and hosted a website entirely on my own.
Applied core data analysis skills like acquisition, cleaning, exploration, and visualization.
Integrated Tableau visualizations into my website, creating an interactive experience for users.
This first version was a proof of concept—not just for the dashboard itself but for me. I proved that I could bring together these skills into a cohesive project and deliver something tangible.
But as proud as I am of this milestone, I know it’s just the beginning. The dashboard works, but it’s far from perfect. It’s time to build on what I’ve learned and take it to the next level.
Personal Finances Analysis Wishlist
As I plan for version 2.0, there are two critical areas I want to improve:
1. Streamlining the Data Extraction Process
Currently, collecting financial data is a manual process. I download CSV files from various sources, transform and clean the data, then upload it for analysis. It works, but it’s clunky and time-consuming.
To make this dashboard truly useful, I need to automate. Python is my tool of choice for tasks like data extraction and transformation, but some financial platforms may not allow programmatic access. If full automation isn’t possible, I’ll explore other solutions to reduce friction and future-proof the process.
2. Expanding the Scope Beyond Spending
Right now, the dashboard focuses primarily on spending, which is important, but not the whole picture. I want a dashboard that gives me a complete view of my finances—spending, savings, investing, and income.
This project isn’t just about tracking; it’s about optimizing. By gaining insights into all aspects of my financial life, I can make better decisions and improve performance over time. Achieving this will require both technical enhancements and deeper research into personal finance concepts.
Building for the Future
These two improvements—automation and expanded insights—are my immediate goals. They will not only make the dashboard more functional but also turn it into a tool I can rely on to improve my financial health for years to come.
Just like this website, the dashboard is an investment in myself. As I grow in my career and continue to hone my skills, I can revisit and refine these projects, transforming them into something even more impactful.
Whether it’s coding a more efficient data pipeline, learning new financial strategies, or simply designing a better user experience, every improvement I make here will have a ripple effect—on my skills, my finances, and my future.
So here’s to building, learning, and investing in myself, one project at a time.
