Apps now make meeting your financial goals easier than ever. Today, there are online tools that connect directly to your bank to track your expenses, set reminders for bills, and categorize your needs to help you save. If you are one of the millions who had to readjust their financial plans in the past eighteen months, technology can help you get back on track.
It takes a lot of data to make a good financial plan, from counting each expense to tracking monthly income. Back when people had to do it all by hand, the work felt overwhelming — now, it can be as easy as the push of a button:
This app is designed to stop overspending. PocketGuard tracks your income and savings goals to limit how much you can spend every day. It even subtracts upcoming bills, automatically categorizes your expenses, and exports your data into spreadsheets for easy viewing. Whether you need to cut back on retail therapy or simply need to know how much to split between groceries and savings, this app can help.
YNAB provides you with a zero-based budgeting system — for those who are committed, it can help reach financial goals quickly. Zero-based budgets mean you must plan for every penny you make, whether they go to food, retirement, an emergency fund or other spending categories. This app connects your bank accounts and also gives you resources, budget advice and free workshops.
• Mint
Perhaps the most popular of the personal finance apps, Mint is known as a one-stop app for tracking spending, budgeting and seeing the big picture of your financial situation. One of Mint’s most helpful features lets you set deadlines for upcoming bills, reminding you of what you owe and the funds available to pay them.
• Wally
Here’s a robust app for expense tracking: connect your credit cards and bank accounts to Wally and it will compile a list of all your spending and include the receipts of each purchase. It even files your purchases into categories like “Dining Out,” “Clothing” and “Entertainment." Just snap a picture of your receipts and it will log them all, saving you time spent typing in the data and giving you the financial control you need.
• Strides
While it can be used outside of strictly financial goals, Strides is a helpful app for anybody who wants to stay accountable to their goals and dreams. This smart goal tracker helps you write your goals every day. It is also well-organized with tools like charts, reminders and target dates.
Personal finance apps have helped many people reach their financial goals, whether it be a vacation, a child’s education, a new home or simply financial freedom. With technology on your side and a little bit of financial knowledge, anyone can start down the road that ends in financial security.
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