Budgeting is one of the most necessary (and unfun) parts of being a true adult. Unfortunately, American schools don’t really teach average students how to do this. It’s not a difficult concept, and we probably don’t need to take a serious class on it, but it is important.
However, many people in their twenties take a different approach to their budget than their parents do: ignore it. With our digital world, many young adults ignore their bank account and hope that they have enough cash to get them to their next paycheck. Luckily, smartphones exist. Over the past few years, a number of easy and helpful apps have come out to make budgeting easier and more fun than in the past. Who needs paper and a pencil when you have your iPhone?
Here’s a list of some of the best budgeting apps to help you get your finances under control. Listen up!
The best budgeting apps
Mvelopes
Similar to Mint, Mvelopes also connects to your bank account, but this app allows you to keep track of your recipes and pay your bills as well. You can track your spending in real time, and it’s a great option if you need help staying on track.
You Need a Budget
Arguably one of the priciest apps on the market, YNAB is incredibly helpful if you’re interested in budgeting down to the penny. This app will help you not only budget your money, but also “age your money” as they say. It will help you to stop living from paycheck to paycheck, and it may change how you look at finances!
Qapital
While this budgeting app doesn’t technically give you a budget, Qapital a great app for saving money. You connect it with your bank account, and then you can pick from a number of creative “rules” to automate your savings. Soon enough you’ll be fully funded on your beach trip or new computer or whatever you’re saving for!
Wally
This is another great free app, and it gives you a little bit of everything. You can save pictures of receipts, compare your income to your expenses, and of course, plan out your savings. It’s a super popular budgeting app, and it will revolutionize your budgeting!
HomeBudget
If you need a little more control, or you want more manual budgeting, this is the option for you. This app does cost money, but it has a lot of options for people with a lot of payments. It’s super detailed, so it will give you a very specific budget.
Mint
This budgeting app connects directly with your bank account, so it’s a great way to get a more personalized budget. You can quickly tell Mint how much you want to spend on what area of your life, and it will keep track of it almost automatically! It’s a great free app to get you started on budgeting.
