Heads up: This article was commissioned as a part of the Adam Rush Project. It was an experiment I did a few years ago to see if having books written by ghostwriters would be commercially viable. It wasn't. That said, the following article was written by someone else and not yet edited to my standards. I hope to find time to rewrite it myself in the future, but for now, read with caution.
Disclaimer: In this article, I discuss financial topics. These are my personal thoughts and opinions. I am not a financial advisor, and none of what you read here is financial advice.
Managing and budgeting your finances can be challenging, but with the advancement of technology and the widespread use of smartphones, it has become easier to stay on top of your finances. From apps that pay your bills to software that alerts you when your accounts are low, the options are endless. In this article, we will take a closer look at the top 24 best ways to manage and budget your money, and avoid overspending.
1. Mint
Mint is a leading online system for managing and budgeting finances, thanks to its superior features. The app automatically categorizes and updates all your transactions, providing real-time alerts for every transaction, including those made with your ATM card, making it a useful security feature. Additionally, it alerts you of any unusual transaction charges, allowing you to stay on top of your finances. With Mint, you’ll never miss a bill payment again, as it reminds you of upcoming bills and allows you to set a budget and track your spending easily, all for free.
2. Personal Capital
This software, with over 1.6 million users worldwide, is a popular choice for managing wealth. Utilizing the latest technology, it syncs your financial information across all your devices, allowing you to easily manage your finances on your phone, tablet, PC, or any other device at any time. By linking all your accounts to your Capital dashboard, it helps you to understand your net worth. Additionally, you can use the software to create an investment plan and track your retirement plans. Joining the software is free, and the app is available for free on both IOS and Android.
3. Chase Blueprint
Chase Blueprint is a free system that can be linked to select Chase credit cards, making it easy to manage your finances while enjoying lower interest rates on payments. Unlike other credit cards, where interest is charged on the entire balance, even if only a portion is unpaid by the end of the grace period, Chase Blueprint only charges interest on the unpaid balance. This system also includes a budgeting feature to track your payments and transaction charges.
4. Buxfer
Buxfer is an online finance management tool that allows you to link all of your financial accounts, including credit cards and PayPal. The software automatically categorizes your transactions for easy monitoring. Additionally, it provides reminders for upcoming bills and allows you to set a budget and receive notifications when you exceed it. Best of all, it’s free to use.
5. SavvyMoney
SavvyMoney is an excellent software for managing and comparing credit card scores and loans. With it, you can set a loan repayment plan according to your budget and desired timeline, and the software will assist you in staying on track. It also offers suggestions for paying off loans faster. Additionally, it helps in improving credit card scores, making it a valuable and free tool for personal finance management.
6. YNAB
YNAB, also known as “You Need A Budget,” is a paid budget and personal finance app that assists with managing finances, getting out of debt, and increasing savings. It allows you to connect all your accounts and manage them on one platform, with access to your data at any time. The app offers a 34-day free trial, after which it costs $60 to purchase.
7. Quicken
Quicken is a premium personal finance software that can be used on Mac, Windows, Android, and IOS devices. It enables you to manage all your accounts and investments in one place, and sync your data across multiple devices. You can access your finances from any device and it comes with a 5GB of cloud storage. The software has converted to a subscription-based model, with an annual fee of $49.99.
8. BudgetSimple
BudgetSimple is a user-friendly and free online budgeting platform to manage your personal finances. It allows you to connect all your bank accounts for easy management, track expenses, and provide guidance on cutting costs and maximizing savings. With it, you can create a budget plan and find the best way to get out of debt.
9. Moneytrackin’
Moneytrackin’ is a useful tool for managing expenses by providing a clear detail of where your money is going. By keeping track of your spending, it allows you to take control of your finances and make informed decisions on where to cut back and increase savings. Additionally, it can be used for small business accounts. It’s a great way to take control of your personal finances.
10. Dollarbird
Dollarbird is a personal finance software that caters to individuals who prefer to manually input their financial information rather than have the software automatically access it. It enables manual input of statistics, budgeting, and expense management. It is a free app available on both IOS and Android platforms.
11. Fudget
Fudget is a user-friendly financial management app that comes in both free and paid versions. It offers a simple interface for tracking expenses and creating a budget, without the need for complex categories or difficult curves to interpret. The paid version, Fudget Pro, costs $1.99 and includes additional features such as Dropbox integration for saving files, an in-app calculator, the ability to export data to spreadsheets and no ads.
12. Goodbudget
Goodbudget is a modern digital envelope system that allows you to set specific amounts of money for specific expenses. It helps you avoid overspending by stopping when the allocated money runs out. You can create multiple envelopes for different purposes such as groceries, drinks, etc and each one having a specific amount of money allocated. The data can be synced across the app and the website.
13. Money Dance
This is a premium paid app that provides advanced features for managing finances. The interface is designed like a ledger, it automatically downloads transactions from various financial institutions and categorizes them. The app allows you to visualize your spending through graphs and charts, and also track your investments. It costs $49.99.
14. CalendarBudget
CalendarBudget is a personal finance software that is designed for those who prefer to actively manage their finances by manually inputting data. It’s only available in desktop version. Users enter their financial information at the end of each month, and the software calculates expenses and remaining funds. It has a spreadsheet layout for easy budgeting.
15. Cinch
Cinch is a premium app that provides complete financial management, helping users stay debt-free and manage their spending. It is unique in that it requires users to provide detailed personal financial information, including bank account numbers and annual income. However, the app assures that the information is only used for financial management purposes and is kept private.
16. Albert
Albert is a free app that provides a personalized approach to financial management by connecting users with human financial experts for live support. Users can text their questions and receive expert assistance with savings, paying off debt faster, and managing expenses.
17. Trim
Trim is a free app that helps users keep track of their subscriptions by linking to their credit cards and sending a text message with a list of all subscriptions. This allows users to easily identify and cancel any subscriptions they no longer need or use, making it a useful tool to help manage and cut unnecessary expenses.
18. Budgetpulse
This free software is designed to help you with budget planning. It allows you to track your expenses, and also share your financial plans with loved ones for support in achieving them. It also visualizes your spending through graphs and charts, making it easy to understand and manage your finances.
19. PearBudget
This is a powerful paid financial management app that began as a simple, free Excel spreadsheet. It is perfect for tracking expenses and setting budgets to help you stay within your means. The interface is user-friendly, and it offers a 30-day free trial after which you pay a monthly fee of $4.95.
20. GnuCash
This app is suitable for personal, home and small business financial management. It allows users to track expenses, investments and account information. Data can be entered manually or imported from various financial institutions. It’s a flexible tool to help you manage your finances effectively.
21. Envelopes
While virtual envelope systems are popular in financial management apps and software, the use of physical envelopes has also been proven effective. By setting an amount in an envelope and labeling it for a specific expense, users can experience the physical sensation of saving money, helping them learn to spend less and save more. This method is simple yet effective way to control your personal finances.
22. Notebook
Managing your finances can be as simple as carrying a small notebook with you. By creating a budget before spending and noting down every expenditure as it happens, you can easily stay on top of your finances and know where your money is going. This easy method can help you make better financial decisions and achieve your financial goals.
23. Pocket Guard
Pocket Guard is a financial management app that allows users to sync all their accounts, including credit cards and bank accounts, in one platform. This enables users to easily manage their finances. The app also helps users to track their savings and investments, and displays an estimate of the money that can be spent daily or weekly based on the budget. It makes it easy to understand and manage your finances.
24. Develop a saving habit
While there are many software and apps available to help with financial management, the most important aspect is having the mindset to save and only spend what is necessary. Developing a saving habit is crucial for achieving financial stability, and it can be as simple as setting a goal and making it a daily practice.
Leave a Reply