Ganbaru Watashi no Kakei Diary (2007). Play online

Summary

Ganbaru Watashi no Kakei Diary turned my DS into a pocket accountant back in ’07. It was released only in Japan as part of Nintendo’s Touch‑Generation line, meaning everything is driven by a simple tap on the bottom screen. I could slip the device onto a train and log expenses in any of the eighteen categories – from groceries to fashion to nightlife – with just a touch. The software even spits out graphs so you can spot where you’re splurging.

A standout feature is the loan‑simulator, which lets you toy with mortgage or other debt payments and carve out realistic repayment plans. The budgeting engine automatically tallies income and spending, so the numbers stay reliable even if you’re new to keeping a ledger. Unfortunately the built‑in calculator had a known glitch: it mangled multi‑digit multiplication and 9‑digit division, though it never affected the core budget calculations. Nintendo offered a free replacement for the defective units, updating the swap process in early 2009.