diff --git a/expenseManipulation.ts b/expenseManipulation.ts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..1a578c7
--- /dev/null
+++ b/expenseManipulation.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,31 @@
+import { App, TFile } from "obsidian";
+
+export async function playWithTable(app: App) {
+	const file = await this.app.workspace.getActiveFile();
+	// trigger if something changed in the file (ex. new expense added)
+	app.vault.on("modify", async (changedFile: TFile) => {
+		if (changedFile.path === file.path) {
+			if (file) {
+				const fileContent = await this.app.vault.read(file);
+				const lines = fileContent.split("\n");
+				let inTable = false;
+				lines.forEach((line) => {
+					if (line.startsWith("|")) {
+						if (line.includes("---")) {
+							// This is the header line, start reading from next line
+							inTable = true;
+						} else if (inTable) {
+							// This is a table line, read the cells
+							const cells = line
+								.split("|")
+								.map((cell) => cell.trim());
+							console.log(cells);
+						}
+					} else {
+						inTable = false;
+					}
+				});
+			}
+		}
+	});
+}
diff --git a/main.ts b/main.ts
index b05da53..bf6738c 100644
--- a/main.ts
+++ b/main.ts
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 import test from "node:test";
 import { App, Notice, Plugin, PluginSettingTab, Setting } from "obsidian";
 import { ExpenseModal } from "./expenseModal";
+import { playWithTable } from "./expenseManipulation";
 
 interface BudgetSettings {
 	expenseCategories: object;
@@ -56,8 +57,14 @@ export default class budgetPlugin extends Plugin {
 			// need to set active md file to budget
 			console.log("Debug: trigger new expense modal from ribbon");
 		});
+
 		// Adds a setting tag so the user can configure the aspects of the plugin
 		this.addSettingTab(new ExpenseSettingTab(this.app, this));
+
+		// Adds a listener to the layout-ready event to trigger the playWithTable function
+		this.app.workspace.on("layout-ready", async () => {
+			await playWithTable(this.app);
+		});
 	}
 
 	async loadSettings(): Promise<void> {