diff --git a/.env.example b/.env.example
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--- /dev/null
+++ b/.env.example
@@ -0,0 +1,8 @@
+
+#
+# This environment file sets variables for the development
+# Database specifics are set in the docker-compose file and the ORIGIN is not required for local development
+#
+
+# prisma database url
+DATABASE_URL="postgresql://prisma:prisma@localhost:5432/finances?schema=public"
diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
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--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -1,3 +1,70 @@
 # Next-Finances
 
 This is my simple finances tracker that I use to keep track of my spending.
+
+## Using the app
+
+### Understanding the Basics
+
+- **Entities**: The core building blocks of your finances.
+  - Accounts: Where you hold money (e.g., bank accounts, PayPal account, cash)
+  - Entities: Where you spend money (e.g., Walmart, Spotify, Netflix)
+- **Payments**: Record money movement.
+  - Expenses: Money leaving an Account. (Account -> Entity)
+  - Income: Money entering an Account. (Entity -> Account)
+- **Categories** *(optional)*: Add labels to Payments for better tracking.
+
+### Your First Steps
+
+- Set up: Create Entities and Accounts that reflect your finances.
+- Record a Payment:
+  - Enter the amount and date.
+  - Select payor and payee
+  - *(optional)* Assign a category or enter a note.
+- Explore: View your payment history and view your statics at the dashboard
+
+### Tips
+
+- Install the website as a PWA for easy access.
+- Get in the habit of recording Payments as they happen for accurate tracking.
+- Use categories to understand your spending patterns.
+
+## Development
+
+Clone this repository and run the following commands:
+
+```bash
+
+## create .env file
+cp .env.example .env
+
+## start the database
+docker compose -f docker/finances-dev/docker-compose.yml up -d
+
+## generate prisma client
+npx prisma generate
+
+## apply database migrations
+npx prisma migrate deploy
+
+## start the development server
+npm run dev
+
+```
+
+Then open [http://localhost:3000](http://localhost:3000) with your browser and create an account.
+While in development mode, you can generate sample data from the [Account page](http://localhost:3000/account).
+
+## Deployment
+
+Copy the [docker-compose.yaml](./docker/finances-prod/docker-compose.yaml) file and
+the [.env.example](./docker/finances-prod/.env.example) from 'docker/finances-prod' to your server.
+
+Rename the `.env.example` file to `.env` and adjust the required environment variables.
+
+The docker setup expects you to run a Traefik reverse proxy. It will then register itself automatically.
+If your setup is different, you will need to adjust the `docker-compose.yaml` file accordingly.
+
+The finances containers will automatically register themselves to a running watchtower container if it is present.
+
+Finally run `docker-compose up -d` on your server to start the application.
diff --git a/docker/finances-prod/.env.example b/docker/finances-prod/.env.example
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+++ b/docker/finances-prod/.env.example
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+
+# database configuration
+DB_USER="db_user"
+DB_PASSWORD="db_password"
+
+# prisma database url
+DATABASE_URL="postgresql://$DB_USER:$DB_PASSWORD@postgres:5432/finances?schema=public"
+
+APPLICATION_DOMAIN="finances.thielker.xyz"
+COOKIE_DOMAIN="$APPLICATION_DOMAIN"
+ORIGIN="https://$APPLICATION_DOMAIN"