# Automated expense tracking with Google Sheets: n8n workflow

> Started by an incoming Telegram message, and works across Google Drive, Google Sheets and Telegram.

Source: https://millionrounds.com/workflow/automated-expense-tracking-with-google-sheets (Millionrounds; every figure on the page links to its filing or article)

[Automation library](https://millionrounds.com/workflows) · [Money admin](https://millionrounds.com/workflows?category=Money+admin#library)

# Automated expense tracking with Google Sheets

Started by an incoming Telegram message, and works across Google Drive, Google Sheets and Telegram. It puts Gemini, Mistral and two others behind a retrieval step, so answers are drawn from documents you supply rather than from the model alone. 31 steps, 2 branches: large, and worth reading before you trust it with anything live.

Large Calls a model: Gemini, Mistral Retrieval

[Download free](https://millionrounds.com/login?next=%2Fapp%2Fworkflow%2Fautomated-expense-tracking-with-google-sheets)

**31 steps** Large: read it before trusting it with anything live

**2** Branches: places the flow splits

**0** Loops or waits

**3** Services it connects to

## The flow

Starts it 2 Model 10 Logic 8 Service 11

The steps in the order they run, from what starts it.

- 1 **Receipt Parser** Output Parser Structured *Model*
- 2 **Telegram Trigger1** Telegram trigger *Starts it*
- 3 **Google Gemini Chat Model** Lm Chat Google Gemini *Model*
- 4 **Simple Memory** Memory Buffer Window *Model*
- 5 **Think** Tool Think *Model*
- 6 **Date & Time** Date Time Tool *Service*
- 7 **Mistral Cloud Chat Model** Lm Chat Mistral Cloud *Model*
- 8 **Mistral Cloud Chat Model1** Lm Chat Mistral Cloud *Model*
- 9 **OpenAI Chat Model** Lm Chat Open Ai *Model*
- 10 **OpenRouter Chat Model** Lm Chat Open Router *Model*
- 11 **When Executed by Another Workflow** Execute Workflow trigger *Starts it*
- 12 **Auto-fixing Output Parser** Output Parser Autofixing *Model*
- 13 **Check for Image** If *Logic*
- 14 **AI Agent** Agent *Model*
- 15 **Edit Fields** Set *Logic*
- 16 **Telegram** Telegram *Service*
- 17 **Extract Text Input** Set *Logic*
- 18 **Format Summary Message** Code *Logic*
- 19 **Google Sheets** Google Sheets *Service*
- 20 **Save Receipt** Google Drive *Service*
- 21 **Extract Value From Image** Tesseract Node *Service*
- 22 **Mistral Upload** Http Request *Service*
- 23 **Check Invalid Input** If *Logic*
- 24 **Send Expense Summary1** Telegram *Service*
- 25 **Merge** Merge *Logic*
- 26 **Mistral Signed URL** Http Request *Service*
- 27 **Send Error Message** Telegram *Service*
- 28 **Send Expense Summary** Telegram *Service*
- 29 **Execute Workflow** Execute Workflow *Logic*
- 30 **Mistral DOC OCR** Http Request *Service*
- 31 **Code** Code *Logic*

## How it's built

- **Starts on:** An incoming Telegram message
- **Steps:** 31, with 2 branches
- **Size:** Large: read it before trusting it with anything live
- **Connects to:** Google Drive, Google Sheets, Telegram
- **Model:** Gemini, Mistral, OpenAI, OpenRouter
- **Retrieval:** Answers are drawn from documents you supply, not from the model alone

## Questions

What does it need to run?

An n8n account, plus your own Google Drive, Google Sheets and Telegram accounts, and a key for Gemini and Mistral. You connect your own accounts after importing it; none are included.

What starts it?

It starts on an incoming Telegram message.

Does it use AI?

Yes. It calls Gemini, Mistral and OpenAI. Its answers draw on documents you give it, not on the model alone. Model calls are billed by the provider, not by n8n.

How long does it take to set up?

Take your time. At 31 steps it is large: read it before trusting it with anything live.

How do I import it?

Copy the workflow, open a new workflow in n8n and paste. The steps appear on the canvas, ready for your own accounts.

**Before you run it**

Nothing here has been tested by us. It is somebody's working automation, read and described from its own steps. Treat the connections it wants as a list of accounts it will touch, and read the 31 steps before you point it at anything that matters.

## Run it in n8n

- **Create your n8n account** Free to start. n8n is where the workflow runs. [Create an n8n account ↗](https://millionrounds.com/n8n)
- **Download the workflow** Free with a Millionrounds account. [Download free](https://millionrounds.com/login?next=%2Fapp%2Fworkflow%2Fautomated-expense-tracking-with-google-sheets)
- **Paste it into n8n** Open a new workflow in n8n and paste. Then connect your own accounts.

Stored with the author's traces removed: canvas notes, instance identifiers, saved credential names and any live document they had left behind.

## Connects to

Each opens the other workflows that use it.

[Google Drive](https://millionrounds.com/workflows?service=Google+Drive#library)[Google Sheets](https://millionrounds.com/workflows?service=Google+Sheets#library)[Telegram](https://millionrounds.com/workflows?service=Telegram#library)

## Workflows like it

Also money admin, with the same services where possible, closest in size first.

- [**Credit card payment reminder & tracking-for Taiwan banks** 31 steps · Gmail, Google Calendar](https://millionrounds.com/workflow/credit-card-payment-reminder-and-tracking-for-taiwan-banks)
- [**Track and classify expenses with Mindee OCR and OpenAI** 32 steps · calls a model · Google Drive, Postgres](https://millionrounds.com/workflow/track-and-classify-expenses-with-mindee-ocr-and-openai)
- [**Generate leads and proposals [FREE SYSTEM] with Gmail** 30 steps · Gmail, Google Drive](https://millionrounds.com/workflow/generate-leads-and-proposals-free-system-with-gmail)
- [**Manage restaurant orders, upsells, and payments with Telegram** 29 steps · calls a model · Google Sheets, Slack](https://millionrounds.com/workflow/manage-restaurant-orders-upsells-and-payments-with-telegram)
- [**Invoice verification and validation with Gmail and Drive** 34 steps · calls a model · Gmail, Google Drive](https://millionrounds.com/workflow/invoice-verification-and-validation-with-gmail-and-drive)
- [**Approve invoices with Claude and Google Drive** 28 steps · Google Drive, Google Sheets](https://millionrounds.com/workflow/approve-invoices-with-claude-and-google-drive)