One of the most common questions we got was some version of: “What happens if I switch browsers?” or “Can I back this up somewhere?”
Fair question. Everything on this site runs locally in your browser, which is great for privacy but means your data lives in one place. Until now, there was no easy way to move it.
What is new
There are now three buttons in the footer of every page, right next to the Profile button:
- Export Data -- downloads a single JSON file containing everything: all your profiles, every tool’s saved inputs, your budget data, loan settings, planner entries, debt balances, retirement projections, all of it. One file, one click.
- Import Data -- picks up that file and restores it. Open it on a different browser, a different computer, wherever you need it. The import validates the file first and asks you to confirm before overwriting anything.
- Clear Data -- wipes everything clean. It asks you twice (a confirmation dialog that tells you exactly how many entries you are about to delete) before doing anything. Useful if you want a fresh start or you are done with a shared computer.
Why one file for everything
We thought about doing per-tool exports, but honestly, that is annoying. If you are switching laptops or moving from Chrome to Firefox, you do not want to export six different files and import them one by one. You want to click a button, get a file, and be done with it.
The export file is plain JSON. You can open it in any text editor if you are curious what is in there. It is not encrypted or obfuscated -- it is your data and you should be able to read it.
What got cleaned up
The old export buttons that were sitting inside the Budget Tracker have been removed. They were only covering one tool anyway. Now that export and import live in the footer and cover everything, there is no reason to keep them in two places.
Same rules as always
No accounts. No cloud. No data sent anywhere. The export file goes straight to your downloads folder and the import reads straight from your local file system. We never see any of it.
Look for the buttons in the footer on any page.