[kbrtz125]

Have been using Road Trip on my iPhone. You can try the Lite version in which you can have the stats for 1 car. Paid version will allow several cars and bikes. You can enter the Service costs too. You will be amazed to see the final figures and charts. Unfortulately dont have screenshot of the reports

[abirnale]

Couldn't find an apt thread to post this info hence creating a new one.

This is about some expense tracking application help keep tab on the expenses we make as petrol heads. I remember my old days when i used to maintain an XLS with various expenses, fuel top-ups, Service and Maintenance records, reminders in calendar and above all to show off how much i car about my ride.

The time have changed now. There are numerous applications on the smartphones especially for iPhone and Androids to do just these. It takes away the labour of maintaining the XLS files or remembering key expenses that you make on car. This data is often helpful when you calculate the running cost of the vehicle and there is time to decide what is optimum for you in long run.

I have been using an application called "Gas Cubby" on my iPhone. I also use VehiCal and other non-automobile expense management software and in my experience, it seems like Gas Cubby is most ideal solution for the cost it offers. The free version allows limited vehicle entries while the paid version has no constraints. You can see the app details here - http://appcubby.com/gas-cubby/ It costs only US$ 1.99. The most interesting part i like about this app is its alerts about service intervals that i can set to my custom needs like early oil change and so on.

Disclaimer: There isn't any commercial intent to speak about this application but to suggest fellow tbhpians about utility of smartphone to track the expenses with an example. I am interested in knowing your views, if any other apps you use are worth giving it try

I have been using this app and here are some screen grabs of the same from my phone attached to this post. They aren't in particular order as such. But useful to understand what it does and how I enjoy using it.

Have you been using ay such apps on your smartphone? If so, whats your experience like?

[Jaggu]

I use this for keeping track of fuel expense. Its free also.

Mileage keeper

[ampere]

There is a free app called my cars. Supports pretty much everything.
It's available on Android. It should be there for ios too.

[abirnale]

Didn't realize how useful XLS gandhi has already created! And many other apps other fellow tbhpians have suggested. Seems like I am looking at the goldmine of data management and interpretations! Because now i have at least dozen more options to try At the outset it looks like, every app has its own plus point and silly me asking for everything to be in one! Wish there will be an app for that too.

[ashbhat2]

Originally Posted by abirnale

Have you been using ay such apps on your smartphone? If so, whats your experience like?

@abirnale - I became a memeber of TBhp a few months back. Been following this community for quite some time though. I too was looking for such an app few years back and I found this App called My Cars on Android. Found out about the App in TBhp itself where some member had posted about it.

I have a Ritz Vdi which will be turning 3 later this month. Have been tracking all expenses on this app for the past two years. I do agree with you that it really gives a good picture of the overall running cost of the car.

I've been using the free version and it has been serving me really well. Its really fun to use. Each time I'm at the fuel station, I have the App open even before the guys at the bunk can start their refueling.

The app basically calculates mileage on the Full Tank - Full tank method, Also keeps track of partial refills and gives the mileage reading for the next time I fill a full tank.

Attaching a few snapshots below.

Basic information Screen.

The running cost of the car over the past 18 months has been 4.92/km which includes all services, accessories, Car wash and of course fuel.



Best and Worst Mileage statistics -

Only twice did I get the mileage in the 14's - Driven completely in Bangalore City traffic. Best Mileages were on highway drives as expected. I had driven down from Bangalore to Hyd where I had received around 23. Unfortunately, didn't have this app back then.



Fuel Efficiency at every Refill point.



Month by Month fuel efficiency over the last 12 months.



Estimated Kms my vehicle would do on a full tank based on the current mileage.



The one chart we all hate to see. Rise of Diesel price over the last 18 months.



Running cost of the car per month over the last 12 months. The spike in May is due to Tyre Change. Got Yoko A Drives 185/70 R14's fitted onto the car.



Pie Chart of the running costs over the last year. Percentage wise.



Trip distances at which the refueling is done.



I haven't found any option of service reminders on this app, don't think it has any such feature. I track the service intervals myself as I get it serviced every 10k.

Anyone else have any info of such apps or apps with better info, please do share.

[ampere]

While going through all the apps, I realized:

- Now that we have tons of app, its easier to log data into your phone, while you are filling up.
- But we still need a way to export these details on the App to an excel (or any other format) which can be stored on the Cloud/Personal Data space.
- Now this is also possible as many apps support options to export to Excel.
- All one has to do is move this exported data to one of the cloud back-up drives like Google Drive, Dropbox etc. And it stays there.
- Now to post process this data, I also felt it now becomes easier.
- Because if the updated data on fuel, pricing etc, keeps getting added on the same format, one can then automate its post processing
- I wrote one such macro in excel VBA which parses the exported fuel-log sheet and churns out visualization chart for odo, FE and price over-layed on the same graph.
- That gives a nice visual feel on all the details.

[ashbhat2]

@ampere -

Couldn't agree with you more on that.

There definitely are plenty of apps out there in the market for tracking expenses. But it all boils down to how portable this data is. One thing I found lacking in this app (My cars) is that you can only export it to xml format. Although the MyCars app reads xml ( Thats how i ported data while I switched phones ) there would be some amount of effort involved in converting this xml to an Excel.
The Pro version of the app has an option of auto back up of data on the cloud.

Do you know of any app that supports conversion to Excel?

[dre@ms]

There was a iOS app suggestion long time back in one another thread which is basically used just for calculating the FE. I am not able to find it now.
While searching for it, came across Gas Cubby. The app is good, but I am not able to figure out the FE using this app.

[ashbhat2]

@dre@ms -

AFAIK, most of the apps out in the market calculate fuel efficiency based on the Full tank to full tank method. So going by that, you would require at least two full tank refills for the app to give out any sort of reading. Any partial refills, the data is just stored so that the accurate FE can be provided at the next full tank where the FE can be accurately gauged.

If you have more than two full tank reading put into the app, then I guess you would have to go to the App forums to figure out what exactly the problem is.

[dre@ms]

Originally Posted by ashbhat2

Any partial refills, the data is just stored so that the accurate FE can be provided at the next full tank where the FE can be accurately gauged.

I use the FE readings in the MID of my City and this app is just used for my bike, where the FE is calculated from reserve to reserve. The app I was talking about did give me the FE for my car/bike, with just partial fills.

[ampere]

Originally Posted by ashbhat2

Do you know of any app that supports conversion to Excel?

@ashbhat2,

I use the pro version of FuelLog. Got it for about 100/- (I think). The pro version allows Excel support. (It basically inputs/outputs a csv).

At every fill or a car expense, I add the details to the app and immediately export it to cloud. So in other words I keep the cloud updated with all the latest data on the app. So incase your phone crashes, you can re-create your running log back by just importing csv into the app from the cloud. (The pro version supports it).

This simple arrangement works very well. I give this more priority to what the app can visualise. Because that is something which we can do on our own as well on a PC. We just need the data log to perfect. I never do a partial re-fill. Its always tank-up, once the fuel goes to about 30%.


PS: I have till date all the data logged of all the re-fills and the cost incurred on my car, since the day I bought it, thanks to the phone. Its now about 2 years.

[ashbhat2]

@Ampere -

Thanks a lot for the info. After you mentioned, I just went into the app store and checked out the features of MyCars app and the app does support exporting to .cvs format, I hadn't notice this all this while.

Only thing lacking is auto backup of data on the cloud, which I see is available in the paid version. But anyway, I just exported the data onto my laptop in the cvs format, so happy for now.

Cheers

[abirnale]

Have been using the GasCubby for long and there never was a need I felt to change it to other app until recently. It has all the features I need, graphs, export, reminders and cloud back up too! But then there is one thing it does not have - Android App

Recently been changed to Nexus 5, I continue to use this app on my iPod which is always in the car. But with my bike, this has become an issue to use multiple devices at once. So considering an app that does my CSV import from Gas Cubby into new app! The reason to stick to the Android is - my fun2drive/ torque pro and Dash OBD apps run there.

Seriously, if someone does the Trip App + Fuel + Service Expenses + OBD + Dashcam Recorder, wouldn't it be killer app on all markets? Idea worth adding to "Automotive business ideas" thread of KarthikK

[ampere]

Originally Posted by ashbhat2

Only thing lacking is auto backup of data on the cloud, which I see is available in the paid version. But anyway, I just exported the data onto my laptop in the cvs format, so happy for now.

I think most apps dont have an autobackup because they need to build access to a cloud_drive client. A simple manual export on mobile SD card and upload to a cloud drive app is all it takes. Thats how I have been doing it.