Work hard, no pay?
We hear you. Working for no (or little) pay in addition to tuition isn’t easy on anyone’s wallet. Here’s the top 6 (FREE!) finance apps to help you track your money, set a budget, and get control of your money so you never have to face the embarrassment of your card being declined again. And, maybe, even kickstart a savings account this year!
1. Mint
From the makers of TurboTax and QuickBooks comes Mint, the one-stop-shop to pull all your accounts, cards and investments into one place. You can track your spending, create a budget, receive bill reminders and get customized tips for reducing fees and saving money. Enjoy a free credit score and receive alerts for any unusual account charges. If you were lucky enough to get a Apple watch, this app works on that too.
Get it here!
2. GoodBudget
GoodBudget is a personal finance app for budget planning and money management. Organized by envelopes, such as: Groceries, Gas, Eating Out and Rent, it’s easy to keep track of where your money is going. Added bonus: you can share your budgets with people (such as your parents or a roommate) to help you stay on track.
3. LearnVest
Consider this app your personal assistant, life coach and teacher. In addition to getting a platform to organize and track your finances, and an easy-to-view dashboard, you get your very own personal financial planner, a fully-customized financial plan and online tools, classes and articles to help you achieve your financial goals. Just map it out and LearnVest will help you get there.
4. Wally
If you don’t need all the bells and whistles of multiple dashboards or having your own personal assistant, Wally is for you. This personal finance app helps you: compare your income to your expenses, understand where your money goes, and set and achieve goals.
5. Mvelopes
Like GoodBudget, Mvelopes organizes things by envelopes (hence the name). Kiplinger’s Personal Finance has rated it as the top app in its class and “Best for Over-Spenders”. The app splits everything in four: accounts, income, budget and funding, so you can see exactly how your money is being spent and how you can save.
6. Digit
Digit kicks starts your savings, without you having to think about it. The app (safely) links to your checking account to study your spending and income history to predict your cash flow, and then checks in daily for savings opportunities. Then, the app sets small amounts of money aside to sit in your Digit account; and you can retrieve that money any time simply by sending a text. Who knows, maybe you can afford that trip to Europe next year!
If you look at your bank statement and your bills all at once, it’s easy to have a panic attack.
But by enlisting the help of one of these finance apps, you can chill out and start saving up for your next big adventure.
