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Monthly Budget Algorithm Design and Debugging Techniques
Department of Computer Science
Introduction to Computer Science CS 1111
Instructor Aminu Dau
5/25/2025
Creating an efficient algorithm for a monthly budget calculator is a practical task that
reflects many foundational programming concepts, including sequencing, conditional logic,
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loops, and debugging. In this assignment, I will walk through the design of a simple yet
functional algorithm, discuss how it handles user input and logic, and describe how debugging
can help address possible logical errors.
Step-by-step Budget Algorithm
The purpose of the algorithm is to calculate the user’s remaining monthly budget after
deducting both fixed and variable expenses from their income. Here’s a breakdown of the
sequence and logic I would use:
1. Prompt for User Inputs:
Ask the user to input their monthly income.
Ask the user to input the total of their fixed monthly expenses.
Prompt the user to enter the number of variable expenses they would like to
record.
2. Iterative Input for Variable Expenses:
Use a loop to allow the user to enter each variable expense like groceries,
entertainment, dinning out and more...
Store and accumulate these expenses in a running total.
3. Conditional logic for Expenses Warnings:
If the total expenses (Fixed + Variable) are greater than the income, the
algorithm should display a warning that the user is overspending.
If total expenses are less than income, the algorithm should continue to the next
step.
4. Final Budget Calculation:
Subtract the sum of fixed and variable expenses from income.
Display the remaining budget with a clear summary.
This design applies sequencing (Step-by-step input and processing), a loop (for multiple variable
expenses), and conditional selection (for comparing income and expenses).
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Example in Pseudocode:
income = input(“Enter your monthly income:”)
fixed_expenses = input(“Enter your total fixed expenses:”)
num_variable = input(“How many variable expenses do you want to enter?”)
variable_total = 0
for i in range(num_variable):
expense = input(“Enter amount for variable expense “ + str(i+1) + “:”)
total_expenses = fixed_expenses + variable_total
if total_expenses > income:
print(“warning: your expenses exceed your income!”)
else:
remaining = income – total_expenses
print(“Your remaining budget is: $” + str(remaining))
Debugging Logical Errors
Despite clear steps, logical errors can still happen. For example, a common bug could occur if
user inputs are read as strings instead of numbers, causing incorrect addition (e.g., "1000" +
"500" = "1000500"). Such a mistake would result in inaccurate remaining budget calculations.
To debug this, I would follow these steps:
1. Code Walkthrough and Print Statements
Add print() statements to check the type and value of variables after user input.
For example, print type(income) to ensure it is a float or integer.
2. Use Debugging Tools
Utilize an Integrated Development Environment (IDE) like VS Code or PyCharm to
step through the program line-by-line.
Set breakpoints and inspect variable values during execution.
3. Edge Case Testing
Test the program with different edge cases such as zero income, negative
expense entries, or extremely high fixed expenses.
This helps ensure the algorithm handles unexpected inputs gracefully.
4. Refactor and Validate Input Types
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Implement input validation using try-except blocks to prevent the user from
entering incorrect data types.
Example: income = float(input("Enter your income:")) ensures the input is
converted to a float.
By combining manual print-based debugging with IDE tools, I can isolate where the logic breaks
and correct the problem efficiently.
Conclusion
Designing a budget algorithm offers a great way to apply essential programming skills in
a real-world context. Sequencing helps maintain structure, conditional statements improve
decision-making, and loops allow flexible input handling. Most importantly, debugging ensures
that the algorithm not only runs but does so accurately. These skills are the building blocks for
more complex programming challenges in any domain, including finance, data analysis, or web
development.
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References
Lau, W. (2016). Learn to program with Python. Apress.
McKinney, W. (2018). Python for data analysis: Data wrangling with Pandas, NumPy, and
IPython (2nd ed.). O’Reilly Media.
