Trying to set a budget and sticking to it can be very difficult. It is easier to just send and rack up crazy debt right? Wrong. Building up debt should never be the answer, even if setting up a budget seems daunting. If you already have debt you need to get out of, using one of these apps could be a good way to get organized and start paying it down.
1. The best budget app overall is the Mint app.
– There is no monthly fee
– It is the oldest and most well known budgeting app on the market.
– It is owned by Intoit, which is the same company as Quickbooks, so it is reputable.
– The app has many helpful features, including these five:
1. You can track and manage your money by linking to a large list of banks, credit card companies, brokerages and lenders.
2. The budget tool is easy to use and the most recognizable feature on the app.
3. You can categorize your transactions to keep track on how much you are spending on different categories as well as set limits for yourself.
4. Set up alerts for when you overspend on specific categories.
5. You get an overall look at how much cash you spend each month.
2. The most simplified app and the best to stop over spending is the Pocket Guard.
– There is a 34-day free trial. After that it is either$89 a year or $6.99 a month.
– This app links to all of your bank accounts and tracks your spending.
– You can compare month to month spending to make sure you are sticking to your budget or to see how you’re over spending, so you can set up your budget.
– You can also track:
1. Earnings
2. How much you are spending on reoccurring bills
3. Everyday spending
4. Deposits into all accounts.
– This app also has the ability to track individual bills so you can focus on monthly savings.
3. The best app for those who are “hands on” and “Type A” is the YNAB app. (You Need A Budget)
– This app has a 34-day free trial and after that is $6.99 a month.
– The company motto “Give every dollar a job!”
– Using this app you can set a goal and fund it by linking to your account. This goal can either be to put money away into an account, or to pay off a currently revolving account.
-You can decide what account you want to use and it will import the information to the “debt manager.” You can choose from:
>> Checking
>> Savings
>> Cash Account
>> Credit Card
>> Line of credit
You can also categorize your accounts as well as your bills and set the amount you want to pay or save each month, to track savings, payoffs and over spending.
Using any of these apps are a step in the right direction for an organized more effective budget. They will help guide you to financial freedom in the long run.