Tough Budget
Tough Budget Privacy Policy
Effective date: [DATE OF FIRST RELEASE]
Tough Budget is made by Lamp & Path Studios LLC, a New Jersey limited liability company. In this policy, "we" means Lamp & Path Studios LLC. Questions: toughbudget@outlook.com
The short version
- Your budget is yours. We don't sell your information, and we don't share it for advertising.
- There are no ads, no ad trackers, and no analytics tools in Tough Budget.
- Most of what you enter stays on your device. Some information leaves your device only when you choose to use a feature that needs it: signing in, syncing, sharing, or Bank Sync.
What you put in the app
This includes your budgets, items, amounts, due dates, notes, savings goals, debts, and any photos you attach. * On your device. It is saved on your device by default. * Sync. If you sign in, your budgets are saved to our server so they follow you to your other devices. They are encrypted while stored (AES-256), sent only over encrypted connections (HTTPS), and used only to sync and share them. Photos stay on the device where you added them. * Sharing. When you invite someone, only the people you approve can see that budget, with the access you choose (view or edit). You can remove anyone or stop sharing anytime. People you share with see that budget's contents and your email address; you see theirs.
Your account
If you create an account, we keep: * your email address (or the private relay address from Sign in with Apple) * a password stored only in scrambled form (hashed); we never see it in plain text * an account ID * a record that you purchased Tough Budget, so your purchase follows you when you sign in on another device * a list of the devices you're signed in on (an anonymous ID per install, used to keep your account safe)
We use this only to run your account. You can edit your email in Settings > Account. You can delete your account and this data anytime in Settings > Account > Delete Account, or by emailing us.
Purchases
Payments are handled by Apple through the App Store. We never see your card or payment details. Apple tells us whether a purchase or subscription is active, and we use that only to turn on what you paid for.
Bank Sync (optional subscription) (coming later; not available yet)
If you subscribe to Bank Sync and connect a bank, we use Plaid Inc. to link your accounts. You give your bank login to Plaid, not to us. Plaid's privacy policy is at https://plaid.com/legal/#end-user-privacy-policy.
What we receive. Plaid sends us your account names, the last 4 digits of account numbers, balances, and transactions.
How we use it. We use this only to show your transactions in Tough Budget. We never receive your bank password.
Disconnecting. You can disconnect a bank anytime. When you do, or when you cancel Bank Sync, we tell Plaid to remove the connection and we delete the bank data we stored within 30 days.
Permissions on your device
Each permission is asked for only when you turn on the feature that uses it. You can turn any of them off in your device's Settings.
| Permission | Why | Leaves your device? |
|---|---|---|
| Notifications | Bill reminders | No; reminders are scheduled on your device |
| Photos / Camera | Attach a bill or receipt photo | Only if you sync or share that budget |
| Face ID / Touch ID / passcode | Optional app lock | No; Apple handles it, and we never receive your face or fingerprint data |
| Calendar | Add bill due dates to your calendar | No; the events are created in your own calendar |
Contacting support
If you email us, we receive your email address and whatever you write, plus the app version and device details that are filled in for you (you can delete them before sending). We use these only to help you. We delete support emails when they're no longer needed.
What we never do
- sell or rent your information
- show ads, or use your information for advertising
- track you across other companies' apps or websites
- use data brokers
Who we share with
Only the services needed to run the features you use: * Apple: the App Store, iCloud, and Sign in with Apple * Plaid: only with Bank Sync * Cloudflare: runs our server and stores accounts and synced budgets * Resend: sends the codes we email you (verification, password reset, email change)
We may also share information if the law requires it.
How long we keep it
Account data and synced budgets: until you delete your account (Settings > Account > Delete Account). Deleting removes them from our server right away. Bank data: until you disconnect the bank or cancel Bank Sync (then deleted within 30 days). Data on your device or in your iCloud: until you delete it.
Children
Tough Budget isn't meant for children under 13, and we don't knowingly collect information from them. If you believe a child has given us information, email us and we'll delete it.
Your choices and rights
You can ask to see, correct, or delete your information by emailing toughbudget@outlook.com. Depending on where you live (for example California, or the EU/UK), you may have more rights; we will honor them.
Changes
If this policy changes, we'll update the date at the top and, for important changes, tell you in the app.
Contact
Lamp & Path Studios LLC
New Jersey, USA
toughbudget@outlook.com