Cookie & Tracking Policy
Last Updated: February 2025
What Are Cookies Anyway?
Look, cookies are just tiny text files. They sit on your device when you visit our site. Some people imagine them as these mysterious tracking beacons, but honestly? Most are pretty mundane. They help us remember things like whether you've logged in, what's in your shopping cart, or which pages you've viewed.
We've been using cookies since we launched stellanovaeon.com back in 2021. And yeah, tracking technology has changed quite a bit since then. But the basic principle remains the same: they help websites work better.
The Types We Actually Use
Essential Cookies
These are the non-negotiables. Without them, stellanovaeon.com literally can't function properly. We're talking about basic stuff like keeping you logged in, remembering your session, and making sure the site doesn't break between pages.
- Session identifiers that expire when you close your browser
- Security tokens that prevent malicious attacks
- Load balancing cookies that distribute traffic efficiently
Functional Cookies
These make your experience smoother. They remember your preferences, like which currency you prefer or whether you want to see that welcome message again. You can disable these, but the site might feel a bit clunky.
- Language and regional preferences
- Display settings and accessibility options
- Previously entered form information
Analytics Cookies
Here's where we track how people use the site. Which pages get the most visits? Where do people tend to drop off? This helps us improve things over time. We use aggregated data, so we're not watching individual users.
- Page view counts and visit duration
- Navigation patterns and click behavior
- Device and browser information
How Long We Keep This Data
Session cookies vanish when you close your browser. That's by design. Persistent cookies stick around longer, usually between 30 days and 2 years depending on their purpose. Analytics data gets anonymized after 26 months. And if you reject cookies using the button above, we store that preference for 12 months so we don't keep asking you.
Why We Actually Need Them
Without cookies, every time you clicked to a new page, you'd have to log in again. Your budget categories would reset. Your saved expense reports would disappear. It would be chaos, frankly.
For a budgeting tool like ours, cookies help us remember your financial categories, your preferred chart views, and which reports you access most frequently. We also use them to protect your account from unauthorized access. That's not trivial.
Taking Control of Your Cookies
Most browsers let you manage cookies directly. Here's how it typically works:
- Open your browser settings menu and look for privacy or security options
- Find the section labeled "Cookies" or "Site Data"
- Choose whether to block all cookies, allow only first-party cookies, or clear existing ones
- Some browsers offer granular controls where you can whitelist specific sites
For detailed instructions, check out Chrome's cookie settings, Firefox's privacy guide, or Safari's tracking prevention.
Third-Party Cookies
We try to minimize these. But occasionally, we embed tools from trusted partners like payment processors or customer support widgets. These services might place their own cookies. We've vetted them carefully, but they operate under their own privacy policies.
As of 2025, many browsers are phasing out third-party cookies entirely. Google Chrome is finally following through on their promise from years ago. So this section might become obsolete soon anyway.
Updates to This Policy
We'll update this page whenever our cookie practices change. Which happens more often than you'd think. Privacy regulations evolve, browsers change their behavior, and we occasionally add new features that require different tracking methods.
Check back periodically. Or don't. Your choice. But if something significant changes, we'll put a notice on your dashboard when you next log in.