In this post I’ll discuss 8 of the best budgeting tools I’ve been able to uncover in my research. Three of these I’ve personally used. I hope I can help you decide which budgeting tool is best for you.
I’ll be honest. I’m the weird guy that’s been attempting to do a budget since he got out of college. My system today looks so much different than before but I’ve just never been able to NOT budget. There are so many types of budgets, you should learn about the different types to find one that fits you.
I really believe a superpower of mine is the ability to budget. Budgeting allows me to know what I’m spending and do my best to avoid lifestyle inflation.
Budgeting isn’t hard. It’s just tedious and takes a ton of persistence. One of the things that makes this so much easier are the best budgeting tools. I hope you can find what you are looking for below.
My thoughts on the best budgeting tools
As I weighed my personal experiences with the research that I did to write this post I was able to simplify the decision pretty quickly. Here are some things to keep in mind:
You should pay for your budgeting app
If this app truly does what it says its going to it should save you hundreds of dollars every month. With that in mind I think it’s important to plan on paying for your budgeting app. Most people immediately say no to a paid app but I think its worth reconsidering in this sense.
Its common to find an app that can pull on your transactions in
When I started budgeting it was actually novel/difficult for an app to automatically pull in your transactions. Now nearly every app or piece of software does it. Don’t let someone make you think its difficult to do in today’s world.
The best budgeting tools
For each tool I’ve provided some information as well as links, costs, and availability. Lets get into the best budgeting tools!
Tiller
Only Tiller Money keeps your finances up-to-date in spreadsheets so you can easily track spending, make a budget, create a custom financial dashboard, and eliminate debt – all in one place.
Helpful Information
Link: Tiller Money
Cost: $5 per month
Availability: Desktop in google sheets
Mint
Finally, there’s one place to manage all your finances with ease. Mint is the free money manager and financial tracker app from the makers of TurboTax® that does it all. We bring together your bank accounts, credit cards, bills and investments so you know where you stand. See what you’re spending, where you can save money, and track your bills in Mint like never before. You can even keep track of your credit score to help you be smart about it, no credit card is required.
Helpful Information
Link: Mint
Cost: Free
Availability: iOS, Android
You Need a Budget (YNAB)
YNAB is unlike any personal finance app, expense tracker, or money management system you’ve tried before, because it is based on our proven method—YNAB’s Four Rules. The powerful combination of award-winning budget apps and our life-changing budgeting method means it actually works. Using YNAB, hundreds of thousands of people have learned how to get control of their finances, stop stressing, and live the life they want to live. You can be one of them!
Helpful Information
Link: You Need a Budget
Cost: 11.99 per month (84 per year)
Availability: iOS & android
Personal Capital
Welcome to the smart way to track and manage your financial life. Now you can see all your accounts in one place—bank accounts, retirement funds, and your investments. It starts with our award-winning financial tools that give you a dynamic view of your net worth. The result is a smarter and easier way for you to take charge of your money, so you can plan ahead and make more-informed decisions.
Helpful Information
Link: Personal Capital
Cost: Free
Availability: iOS, Android
Everydollar
You need a tool that makes it easy to budget on the go. Because life is hectic—but budgeting shouldn’t be.
Now you can easily manage your money with EveryDollar! Create a custom monthly budget to save money, pay off debt, build wealth, and give. Recommended by top personal money management expert Dave Ramsey, EveryDollar uses the zero-based budget approach that millions are already using to win with money.
Helpful Information
Link: EveryDollar
Cost: $129.99 annually
Availability: iOS & android
Pocketguard
PocketGuard is one of the leading, easiest to use personal finance apps in the US and Canada. This handy tool can finally make money management and budgeting trouble-free. Paying bills, managing multiple accounts, staying on top of your spending habits — all of this is now available in one place.
Helpful Information
Link: PocketGuard
Cost: Free or Paid (3.99 per month)
Availability: iOS & android
Mvelopes
Use the Mvelopes budget app to help make more informed budgeting decisions and future plans. Track your bank accounts and credit card balances alongside your budget to help pay off your debt and increase savings faster. Create a financial plan for the future and make it happen.
Save time with the Mvelopes budget app and its access to over 16,000 financial institutions, so you can focus on managing finances and not entering transactions.
Helpful Information
Link: Mvelopes
Availability: iOS & android
Cost: Basic $4 per month or $40 per year. Premium version also offered
Moneystrands
The free personal finance app designed to help you manage your money, achieve your personal finance goals and start making smarter decisions. It is powered by Strands, the FinTech partner of over 500 banks serving more than 100 million banking customers worldwide.
Helpful Information
Link: MoneyStrands
Availability: iOS & AndroidCost: Free
Cost: Free
Maybe my budgeting travels will take me to other places and today YNAB has changed my life. I went from not making enough to pay my bills to saving thousands monthly. All just because of YNAB and the budget, with no real change in my income. I might try tiller but have tried Mint without much success. YNAB, the program and the educational material were a life changer for me. I know lots of people will object to the cost but it has saved me so many times more than it costs, it’s a no brainer for me. Today I’m not looking for any other options, I’m happy where I am, with YNAB.
Great article and I’ll have to have a look at these. We currently use a mix of Excel and Banktivity.