Privacy Policy
Last updated: 28 October 2026
Who I am and what this covers
This policy explains what personal information I collect when you use the Budget Planner (budget.itsharrietjsmith.co.uk), why, and what your rights are.
I'm Harriet Smith, a sole trader based in the UK, and I'm responsible for your information (the "data controller"). If you have any questions, email me at [email protected].
I keep things simple: I only collect what's needed to run the planner, I never sell your information, and I don't use advertising or tracking cookies.
What information I collect
- Your account: your email address and password. Your password is stored scrambled (hashed), so nobody, including me, can read it.
- What you put in the planner: your budgets, payments, starting balances, overdraft details, sinking fund pots and tasks. You choose what to enter. The planner never connects to your bank.
- Your purchase: when you buy through my Beacons shop, I receive your name, email address and order details. Card payments are handled by Beacons' payment provider, and I never see your card details.
- Account activity: when you signed up, when you last signed in and when your data was last saved. I use these to check access against purchases.
- Technical information: like most websites, my hosting and database providers automatically log things like your IP address, browser type and the time of each request, to keep the service running and secure.
- Messages you send me: if you email me for help, I'll have your email and whatever you include in it.
Please don't enter information you don't need to, like full bank account or card numbers. The planner doesn't ask for them.
How I use it and why
UK data protection law says I need a legal reason (a "lawful basis") for each use of your information.
| What I use it for | Information | Lawful basis |
|---|---|---|
| Creating your account, signing you in and saving your budget so it's there on all your devices | Account, what you put in the planner | Contract: it's how I provide what you bought |
| Sending sign-in, confirmation and password reset emails | Email address | Contract |
| Checking that accounts match purchases, and removing access if a code has been shared | Email, account activity, purchase details | Legitimate interests: protecting my products from misuse |
| Keeping the planner secure and working, and fixing problems | Technical information, account activity | Legitimate interests: running a safe, reliable service |
| Answering your questions | Your messages | Legitimate interests: helping customers |
| Keeping sales and tax records | Purchase details | Legal obligation |
I don't look at the figures in your budget. My admin page only shows email addresses and account dates. I'd only access your figures if you ask me to help with a problem, or if the law requires it.
I won't send you marketing emails from the planner. If you've separately signed up to my mailing list, that's covered by the privacy notice for that list.
Who I share it with
I never sell your information. I use a few trusted companies to run the planner. They only use your information to provide their service to me.
| Company | What they do | What they handle |
|---|---|---|
| Supabase | Database and sign-in system | Account details, what you put in the planner, account activity, technical logs |
| Cloudflare | Hosts the websites | Technical information such as IP addresses |
| Resend | Sends sign-in and password reset emails | Email address |
| Beacons (and its payment provider) | Shop and checkout | Name, email, order and payment details |
| Google Fonts and jsDelivr | Deliver the fonts and code the pages load | IP address and browser details |
I may also share information if the law requires it, for example with HMRC, or if it's needed to protect my rights or someone's safety.
Where it's stored, how long I keep it and how it's kept safe
Where: your account and the information you put in the planner are stored in Supabase's London data centre. Some of my providers (Cloudflare, Resend, Google and Beacons) may process information outside the UK, including in the US. When that happens, it's protected by the safeguards UK law requires, such as UK-approved contract terms or the UK–US data bridge.
How long:
- Your account and budget data: kept while you have an account. If you ask me to close it, I delete your account and data within 30 days. Copies in my providers' backups are removed on their normal backup cycle.
- Accounts where access has been removed: kept for up to 12 months in case access needs restoring (for example, a mix-up over which email was used to buy), then deleted.
- Purchase records: kept for 6 years, as UK tax rules require.
- Emails with me: kept for up to 2 years after we last spoke.
- Technical logs: kept by my providers for a short period, usually a few days to a few weeks.
Security: the planner uses encrypted connections (HTTPS), passwords are stored hashed, and database security rules mean each person can only ever see their own budget. No system is completely risk-free, so please use a strong password you don't use anywhere else. If something goes wrong that affects your information, I'll tell you and the ICO where the law requires.
Cookies and storage on your device
The planner doesn't use advertising, analytics or tracking cookies.
It does save a few things in your browser's storage, because it can't work without them:
- Your sign-in, so you stay logged in until you sign out
- A copy of your latest budget, so it opens quickly and nothing is lost if your connection drops
- Small preferences, such as the month you were last looking at
UK law allows this kind of essential storage without asking first. Signing out removes the saved copy of your data from that device. You can also clear it at any time in your browser settings.
Your rights, complaints and contact
Under UK data protection law, you can ask me to:
- give you a copy of the information I hold about you
- correct anything that's wrong
- delete your account and data
- send your data to you in a format you can reuse
- stop or limit how I use it, or object to uses based on legitimate interests
Email [email protected] from the address on your account. I'll reply within one month, and it's free.
The planner is for adults managing their own money, so it's not meant for anyone under 18.
Complaints: if you're unhappy with how I've handled your information, please tell me first so I can put it right. You also have the right to complain to the Information Commissioner's Office at ico.org.uk or on 0303 123 1113.
Changes: if I change this policy, I'll update the date at the top. If a change is significant, I'll email you before it takes effect.