Recipes / Finance
Itemized receipt ledger with chat queries
OCRs receipts, has an LLM split them into line items with categories, saves them to Sheets, and answers questions about spending.
App vs bot, side by side
| Old app / habit | Bot | |
|---|---|---|
| Tool | Expense apps | n8n + Google Vision OCR + OpenRouter LLM + Sheets |
| Monthly cost | Not reported | Vision + OpenRouter API usage + n8n; free template |
| Setup | None (already in use) | Not reported · Intermediate |
| Your time | Baseline | Not reported |
| Maintenance | Handled by vendor/you as before | Monitor API keys and categories. |
| Privacy | Data stays with the app vendor | Receipt images go to Google Vision and an OpenRouter model. |
Full comparison
| Replaces | Expense apps |
|---|---|
| Bot / agent stack | n8n + Google Vision OCR + OpenRouter LLM + Sheets |
| Monthly cost before | Not reported |
| Monthly cost after | Vision + OpenRouter API usage + n8n; free template |
| Setup time | Not reported |
| Time saved | Not reported |
| Skill level | Intermediate |
| Reliability | 3/5: published template. |
| Maintenance | Monitor API keys and categories. |
| Privacy & data | Receipt images go to Google Vision and an OpenRouter model. |
| Best for | Detailed spending analysis |
| Not for | Zero-cost setups |
Pros and cons
Pros
- Line-item detail
- Q&A over spending
Cons
- Two paid APIs
How it works
- Telegram bot
- Vision + OpenRouter keys
- Connect Sheets
- Activate
Source and evidence
Published template.
Read the original Template source ↗
“Not reported” means the source doesn't say. We never fill gaps with guesses. Numbers marked “per author” or “vendor claim” are the source's own and weren't independently tested. Source re-checked 2026-10-15.
Plain-text summary (for search and AI assistants)
Itemized receipt ledger with chat queries. Replaces Expense apps with n8n + Google Vision OCR + OpenRouter LLM + Sheets. Cost before: Not reported. Cost after: Vision + OpenRouter API usage + n8n; free template. Setup: Not reported, Intermediate. Time saved: Not reported. Reliability 3/5: 3/5: published template. Best for: Detailed spending analysis. Not for: Zero-cost setups. Source: https://n8n.io/workflows/6359-process-receipts-with-google-vision-ocr-ai-and-telegram-to-google-sheets/
One real app-to-bot swap, every week
Setups people actually use instead of apps: what it costs, what breaks, and the source. Free, unsubscribe anytime.