“What comes with the milk, leaves with the soul”
— Russian proverb.
Access the app:
Click here to open and install D-investments
This is how the icon will appear on your phone
One thing that school doesn’t teach you (not even high school) is how to manage your personal finances.
As my eldest son’s birthday was approaching, we suggested that instead of asking for physical gifts, he ask for their equivalent in money. That way, he gathered a decent amount of capital for his first investment adventure.
I explained to my kids that investing is like having a magic box that generates more money over time. To make it more visual and interactive, I decided to create a small app where they could see their investment grow day by day.
My first idea was to build a physical piggy bank with a display, showing the accumulated amount. However, that mixed up the concept of saving with investing, and also required buying extra hardware.
So I looked for a quicker, cheaper way: revive an old smartphone and create a simple app using plain HTML.
The result was D-investments, a mix between Diversions and Investments.
The app is essentially a single HTML file that installs on the phone as a PWA (Progressive Web App).
The phone is attached to the fridge and works as a panel or dashboard where my kids can see their money growing each day.
I act as their investment agent, assigning realistic interest rates — high enough to keep them motivated, but moderate enough to reflect how the real world works.
The app includes a screen where you can enter:
- The kids’ names
- The invested amount
- The interest rate
- The start date
Configuration screen
With that data, the app automatically calculates and displays:
- Daily gain
- Weekly gain
- Monthly gain
- Total updated balance
Dashboard view installed on the fridge showing daily growth.
- An old smartphone
- A suction mount to attach it to the fridge
Affordable phone mount - Price on AliExpress: $0.90
- The D-iNvestments app, in HTML format
D-iNvestments showing daily capital growth.
The process is as simple as opening the link from a smartphone and tapping “Install” when prompted by the browser.
From then on, it behaves like a native app.
Access the app:
Click here to open and install D-investments
The goal wasn’t just to teach my kids the value of money, but to show them visually how investment and time work as allies.
Each day, as they watch their small fund grow, they grasp the magic of compound interest — and that, more than any gift, is a lesson I hope will stay with them for life.
💬 Want to comment or improve the app? Contact me at:
@roberdam