Multiple budgets: Are you limited to a single budget, or can you create multiple budgets for different purposes?.Bill payment tracker/reminders: Having all of your bills in one place, with reminders when payments are due, will help you avoid monthly surprises.Goal setting: Can you set savings goals, like having a certain amount in retirement and emergency funds, and track your progress along the way?.It’s hard to know if you’re making progress without this kind of information. Reports can help you compare spending from month to month and across categories. Charts/reports: Most budgeting apps give you some kind of overview of your income and expenses, letting you visualize the big picture.Budget alerts: It’s nice to get a notice before you go over budget for the month.Can the app tell the difference automatically? If not, can you categorize transactions yourself? This is one of the most useful aspects of budgeting apps. Automatic transaction categorizing: “Groceries” are purchases from the grocery store “Dining out” are purchases at restaurants.Bank account/credit card/debit card/loan sync: Being able to automatically sync and update your accounts and transactions is very handy.Free trial: Does the app allow you to try the paid services before you buy or get your money back if you don’t like it? Some do and some don’t, so make sure to check.Price: Some excellent budgeting apps are free, while others have monthly or annual fees.Consider the following when choosing a budgeting app: Manage spending and plan for monthly billsĮvery budgeting app aims to help you track spending and save money, but they come with a variety of features.You might need a budgeting app to help you: All that would be difficult or impossible to replicate on your own, but budgeting apps make it easy. Many apps generate reports to show how your finances change over time. They can automatically sync up with all of your bank accounts and payment cards, categorize your transactions, and give you a bird’s-eye view of what you buy and how much you spend each month. But even wealthy people could spend and save more wisely with the help of a budget.īudgeting apps take a lot of the work out of making and maintaining a budget. If you’re living paycheck to paycheck or struggling with debt, your need for more control over your finances might be all too clear. A budget can give you a clear picture of how much money you have coming in and going out. If you make and spend money, it’s likely that you could benefit from a budget of some kind. Guide to Choosing the Best Budgeting App Determine Your Need for a Budgeting App You Need a Budget Best for Type-A Personalitiesīudgeting tool is free 0.89% for first $1,000,000 invested PocketGuard Best to Keep From Overspendingįree basic version PocketGuard Pro: $7.99 per month

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