Budgeting Apps - Which one is the best for you?
- liveyourmoneystyle
- Apr 23
- 2 min read
Are you someone who enjoys tracking your spending and budgeting your money - but you’re often on the go and don’t have the time to sit down at a computer and manually log everything in an excel file? There are apps designed specifically for busy people like you. These tools let you see all your accounts in one glance on your phone.
We’re going to cover the different types of budgeting apps that exist and share a helpful NerdWallet article listing the pros and cons of some popular options!
Why Choosing the Right App Matters
It can be overwhelming to find a tool that works well for you. When it comes to choosing an app to help organize something as important as your own money, you will want to make sure the features in the app cover all your needs.
There are several types of money apps that exist and not all of them provide the same services. First you’re going to want to think about whether you would like an app that focuses on:
1. Spending Trackers - to monitor where your money goes
2. Budgeting Tools - to organize future spending
3. Account aggregators - to view of all your investment and banking accounts in one dashboard
There are apps that do one, some or all of the above so it’s up to you to decide on what fits your needs.
Most apps also feature a free and a premium version. The free version will give you the basics of what you’re trying to accomplish, and the premium version will offer advanced analytics looking into your spending and investing trends.
My Approach: A Mix of Apps and Spreadsheets
I personally have an app where I can pull all of my account information into one view where I can see my banking accounts, investment accounts, and credit card statements. This allows me to have all of my money data in one view where I can track my spending and investments over a period of time. I chose to do my budgeting in an excel file instead of using an app, but that’s just personal preference!
Final Thoughts: Keep It Simple and Sustainable
It may take time to find a process and app or combination of apps that works for you, but my best advice is to use a system that you know you can easily follow. If you decide to keep everything separate and have to check multiple different websites/apps/files to track your money, it will get overwhelming and there’s a high chance you don’t stick to that routine. Automating and keeping everything in simple views will help you stick to your budget and spending/saving goals!
Check out this article from NerdWallet that compares top budgeting apps!
Happy Reading!
Maddie
