7 Apps to Help Manage Your Money
If you’re sick of going through the monthly panic around paying your bills, consider seeking help from your phone—or at least an app on your phone.
While you’ve probably heard about the personal finance app Mint, there is a wide array of newer apps on the market. These apps can help you track your monthly expenses and generate a budget, so you have money to put away for a rainy day without having to resort to creative accounting at the end of the month.
Here are seven apps Money reviewed that provide easy-to-use saving solutions.
YNAB
‘You Need a Budget’ app goes beyond just showing you what you spend money on, it aims to change your habits and behaviors. Overhauled earlier this year, the app really focuses on creating a budget as a foundation to help you stop living paycheck to paycheck and get out of debt. YNAB also offers advice and help, as well as a forum offering community support.
Cost: $5 per month or $50 per year
Available On: iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch, Android phones and tablets and a desktop app
Spendee
Have you ever asked yourself where all your money went? If so, this is the app for you. Spendee stands out for tracking how much you spend on certain things like rent and groceries every month. You’ll be astonished to see how much you can spend on takeout, but hopefully it will keep you from mindlessly charging the next Chinese delivery order.
Cost: $0, although you can upgrade to a more customizable “pro” version of the app for $1.99/month
Available On: iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch and Android phones and tablets
Level Money
Even if you know what’s in your bank account, it can be difficult to estimate what you can spend responsibly on a daily basis or even monthly. That’s where Level Money comes in—replacing your bank balance with a “spendable” amount for the month after factoring in essentials like rent, grocery bills and utility bills, as well as any savings goals.
Cost: $0
Available On: iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch and Android phones and tablets
DollarBird
If you organize your life around a calendar, then DollarBird can help you arrange your budget the same way. You plug in your spending based on your calendar of activities and the app creates a budget. DollarBird requires a bit more work than other apps on the market, as you must manually add in your salary and recurring expenses. You'll also need to form a habit of adding in transactions as they occur. But this is a good system for those who don’t want to give their banking or credit card information to an app, potentially risking security.
Cost: $0
Available On: iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch and Android phones and tablets
Unsplurge
This is a fairly straightforward app that helps you save for a specific goal, like a trip to Europe or a new tech toy. The app doesn’t ask for any banking or credit information, instead you set the goal and update with your savings progress. The app will send saving reminders and connect you with a wider community where you can read suggestions and tips from others.
Cost: $0
Available On: iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch
Digit
Digit goes one step further than most personal finance apps. Instead of just telling you to save more at the end of the month, the app automatically banks money for you. Digit analyzes your spending and income, and automatically transfers small amounts (usually $5 to $50) from your checking account to an account managed by the company. The app is a fee-free product and also offers a no-overdraft guarantee, so you don't rack up fines when you're short on funds. But because Digit is not a bank, you cannot earn interest on your savings, but the company does offer a Savings Bonus where customers will automatically receive 5 cents for every $100 saved over a 3-month period.
Cost: $0
Available On: iPhone, iPad, iPod Touch, and the Apple Watch. Android development is in progress, according to a company spokeswoman.
Prosper Daily (formerly BillGuard)
It can be difficult to spot erroneous or fraudulent charges on your credit cards at the end of the month. The Prosper Daily app flags any deceptive and unwanted credit and debit card charges for you; such as subscriptions you may be unaware you’re paying. The app also notifies you when there’s a data breach at a business you’ve shopped at in the past. A company spokeswoman noted the app has flagged over $70 million in questionable charges to date.
Cost: $0, although Prosper Daily also offers monthly ID Protect service with enhanced fraud surveillance and identity protection for $9.99 per month.
Available On: iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch and Android phones and tablets