Part of being responsible with your money is about using the tools available to you to their full potential. When it comes to your computer and smartphone, you have a lot of programs that can help you get a better picture of what’s happening with your money, and to determine the best course of action when you’re feeling stuck. Because in the end, if you have the nagging feeling that you could be doing more about your money, you’re not alone – and you’re probably not wrong either.
YNAB
You Need a Budget – or YNAB for short – has been a leader in the personal finance market for quite a while now. The app has a sleek interface and a unique approach to its design, offering a guided path to becoming financially responsible and independent, and learning how to save properly. Even if you think that you have your money under control, you’d be surprised how much this tool can reveal that you wouldn’t even expect in the first place. YNAB has been updated a lot over the years, and the app is still one of the favorites on this corner of the market. It also comes with an extensive mobile suite, so you can keep your finances in check on the go no matter where you are.
Mint
Another very popular app that’s been out for a while, Mint is great for those who want to keep their accounts organized easily and visible together in one place. The company behind the app is already well-known on the financial market for other tools like TurboTax, and they have a strong interest in helping people understand how their money works better. Mint is very simple to get started with, and it doesn’t take a lot to get your accounts integrated with the app. Once you’ve started, it takes very little to keep things running smoothly. You’ll also have direct access to various nifty features such as the ability to look up your credit score, depending on certain conditions.
PocketGuard
And if you don’t want something that complicated, you should give PocketGuard a try. The app has a more unique approach to its design, focusing on providing a simple, streamlined service that allows you to do a lot with very little input. It’s free, and it can give you a comprehensive overview of your finances that can allow you to know exactly where you stand on the spending front. If you’re going over your budget, it will be easy to know with the help of PocketGuard, and you won’t even have to pay active attention to the app to make that happen. Another great thing about it is that the initial setup is very quick and painless, and the app can allow you to do a lot with very little. If you like what it has to offer, make sure to check out the more comprehensive solutions on the market though, as there is definitely no shortage of apps that can give you an even more in-depth look at your finances.
Personal Capital
Personal Capital is more aimed at those who want a good tool for investing, and the app is great for assisting users with their strategy and pointing them in the right direction. Personal Capital has been known for a while, and they offer a good way to see all your recent transactions grouped by category and other factors. You can add up your net worth and take advantage of other similar useful features, and the app is generally very nice for those who want to do as much as they can with their portfolio. Keep in mind that this is not an app for everybody, as only active investors are going to see real benefits in it. But for those who’re actively involved in this market, Personal Capital is easily one of the best choices out there, all things considered.
Wally
A great little tool for those who want to keep things organized with minimal hassle, Wally has various features that can streamline the handling of your personal finances and make the process fast and smooth. One of the most commonly praised features is the ability to take photos of your receipts which are then directly read into the app, without requiring any effort on your side. Wally is great in many ways like that, relieving you of a lot of work so that you can focus on the one goal that really matters: keeping your finances in check. Wally has a great track record among users who have trouble staying consistent with entering their data, and it’s the perfect app to give you that extra push you might need.
Excel
Yes, Excel! The good old spreadsheet application by Microsoft is still one of the top solutions on this market, all things considered. Sure, it might not be as straightforward to use as some other programs available, but that doesn’t matter once you’ve learned the inner workings of its data manipulation. Excel is truly one of the best tools to build your own spreadsheets and customize them exactly to your needs, and the application offers a lot under the hood for those willing to dig. It does take a while to master it though, so be prepared to spend some time studying it in detail before you’re ready to use it properly. But once you’re there, you probably won’t want to look at anything else.
These are some examples to get you started. There are plenty of other great apps including ones that are for more specific things like insurance or fuel price tracking. 2020 may not have been a great year in some regards, but at least when it comes to personal finance software, it’s given us lots of viable options. It’s a good idea to explore this market in as much detail as you can, because you never know when you might come across something that will completely change the way you look at your money. It only takes one small step to get you moving in the right direction, and you’ll never want to look back after you’ve gone there!