Secure Actual Budget Home Server Setup

1. Budget-Friendly & Efficient Server Recommendation Instead of resource-heavy enterprise gear, I recommend a modern, low-power Intel N100 Mini PC (such as a Beelink S12 or Minisforum, 8GB/16GB RAM, NVMe SSD). Why it fits: It consumes only 6–10W of power at idle (costing pennies to run 24/7), boots silently, handles Docker workloads effortlessly, and provides reliable local storage with plenty of headroom for years of financial data. 2. Clean Installation via Docker Deploying Actual Budget (⁠actual-server⁠) inside an isolated Docker & Docker Compose environment on a lightweight Linux distribution (e.g., Ubuntu Server or Debian). Configuring persistent data volumes to ensure your financial records are cleanly isolated and easy to back up. 3. Secure Remote Access & SSL Depending on your preference for remote access, I will implement one of two robust security postures: Option A (Zero-Trust / No Open Ports): Setting up Tailscale for direct, encrypted, point-to-point access between your phone, desktop, and home server without exposing any ports to the public internet. Option B (Traditional Public Access): Configuring a custom domain/DDNS with Caddy or Nginx Proxy Manager featuring automatic Let's Encrypt SSL/TLS certificates and strict firewall rules. Securing the Actual Budget instance with robust master credentials and password protection. 4. Handover & Maintenance Guide Upon completion, you will receive: Full admin login credentials securely handed over. A concise, step-by-step Maintenance Note covering how to restart the container, perform safe software updates, and set up automated local/cloud backups so your data is always safe