The New Year is almost upon us, and with it comes the time to make resolutions. While many of us will promise ourselves to watch what we eat and hit the gym hard in 2017, many more of us will endeavor to get our finances under control over the next year. Fortunately, the Internet and mobile computing power make tracking your money easier than it ever has been before. Here are four great budgeting apps that can help you track, plan, save, and invest your money better than ever over the next year and beyond.
YNAB
It is hard to argue with the masses, and YNAB, or You Need a Budget, is one of the most popular budgeting apps out there. You need a budget is more than just an app, it is a way of life. The app is organized around four user rules: give every dollar a job; save for a rainy day; roll with the punches; and live on last month’s income. Using this basic framework, YNAB lets you set up a detailed personal budget, and compels you to abide by it.
If you start to spend outside your range on a particular budget category, YNAB will let you know right away; it will also make you consider where you are going to have to sacrifice in other categories in order to meet the unexpected expense. While not free, YNAB is still a great deal that can help you get your financial house in order real quick.
LevelMoney
Level Money is a great, no-nonsense budgeting app, available on iOS and Android, and it is absolutely free. If you are looking for a budgeting app that can help you decide how much you can spend right now, there are few that can do the job as well as Level Money. The app allows you to make a detailed budget and, once it is mapped out, gives you real time feedback so you know whether or not you are meeting your budget goals.
Level money is not necessarily the best app for people with complicated finances. But it is the perfect app for people who are good at planning, but lack the discipline to adhere to the goals they set. Every time you get ready to buy that $5.99 grande chai latte, you can just look at your smartphone, and Level Money will let you know whether or not it is going to break your budget.
PocketGuard
PocketGuard, an app available on iOS as well as Android, is one of the more powerful budgeting apps out there. It connects to all of your bank and credit card accounts, provides secure, real time information on all of your balances, and allows you to make payments, track expenditures, maintain a budget, and generate reports to have better understanding of your overall financial situation. Security is no issue with this powerful app, and its interface will keep you apprised of your net worth and financial situation at all times.
Spendee
Spendee is another great app for getting control of your finances. While not a traditional budgeting app like most of the other offerings here, Spendee provides powerful data analytics that allow you to examine your spending habits, and help you make better financial decisions over the long run. The app, free in its basic form on iOS and Android, allows you to categorize and carefully track your expenses. It generates informative reports that give you a better understanding of where and how you are spending your money real time, or over a given period. Like many of the other apps here, it can connect multiple devices and users, so your entire family can track its spending habits.
