Budgeting is an important part of financial success for any family. It helps you analyze past finances, adjust for current expenses, and plan for the future. Being able to track your spending allows you to find holes in your budget and find areas where you may need to cut back. There are a million and one ways to budget and the right one depends on your personality and what works for you. No one budget type works for everyone. With that said, here are some great budgeting mobile apps I’ve come across that could help your family this year. Each one is a little different, so test them out and see what works for you.
Zeta
Zeta might be my new favorite mobile app. Unlike most other budgeting apps, Zeta is designed with couples in mind. The app allows you to track all of your shared or personal accounts. Both partners can see everything and Zeta gives you the ability to budget together, track spending, and even create financial goals. Zeta is a free mobile app. One of the best features is the ability to tag your spouse on transactions if they need to know about them or you have questions. If you and your significant other are looking for a budgeting solution together, Zeta is worth checking out.
Mint
Mint is one of the original budgeting apps on the market. Mint allows you to sync your bank accounts. It also tracks spending in real-time. If you want to break down your spending, Mint gives you the option to do so with various categories. Mint allows you to analyze your spending to find areas where you can make adjustments and save money. Mint also has bill tracking and free credit score checks. If you need help, Mint offers up budget suggestions to jumpstart your savings.
Personal Capital
Personal Capital offers a comprehensive money management program. This is great, but most of their financial services cost money. However, you can create an account and access their mobile app for free. This will be more than enough to help you track spending, see your current account balances in real-time, and even check on your investment portfolio. Personal Captial’s mobile app is available on most devices.
GoodBudget
If you are familiar with the envelope system for budgeting money, GoodBudget will look familiar. It draws from that concept, allowing you to budget every dollar. This app has cloud-based sharing, which is perfect for couples who budget together. Expense tracking is relatively easy with GoodBudget, which allows you to split transactions into multiple envelopes. GoodBudget requires a little more effort on the user’s part than other budgeting apps, but it’s still worth it. There is a free version as well as a Plus version, which costs $50/year.
If you are like me, much of your life is wrapped up in your cell phone. Having access to your financial accounts and budgeting apps can keep you connected as you make important financial decisions. Setting financial goals for your family is so important. Using a mobile app to budget and track spending can help as you plan for the future.