“Is the President calling?”
That’s what my super hilarious mom says every time someone picks up their smartphone when we’re spending time together. And no matter how much we all roll our eyes, she’s not wrong. 90% of what we do on our phones is a waste of time.
Our phones should be working for us.
Not as a distraction or play Candy Crush and take silly selfies with our kids. Really working to help us get where we want to go.
Luckily, there’s an app for that.
Or rather, a few. If you want to get organized with your budget, save more money, or get out of debt download one of these top financial apps and start crushing your goals.
1 – Mint: Stay on top of your budget
Price: FREE!
Function: Budgeting and goal setting app
About Mint
Mint is a great tool for helping you stay on track with a budget and categorizing your expenses. This app is free and can synchronize to your checking and savings account information. If you are the type of person that needs your account information at your fingertips, then this is the app for you.
Mint is more than just pretty graphics – you can set goals for your finances, create alerts, and synchronize with almost any type of account.
Another bonus with Mint is that you can also track your credit score for free!
This app is very user-friendly and will help you keep all of your financial information in one place.
2 – Acorns: Invest spare change
Price: Starting at $1 per month
Function: Round-up expenses to invest in ETF portfolios, get cash deposits from retailers
About Acorns
Perhaps you have big dreams of investing but don’t feel like you have enough to get started. Acorns can fix that.
For a nominal monthly fee of just $1, you can round up your purchases and use the change to invest in various types of accounts. Acorns has also partnered with numerous brands to help you invest “found money.” These brands will invest a small percentage of your purchases into your Acorn account.
With Acorns, you also have the option of setting aside a fixed amount on a daily, weekly, or monthly schedule. You can tailor it to fit your savings goals. Withdraw your money at any time.
Acorns is a great option if you are curious about investing but unsure of where to start or are worried about the ups and downs of the market. You can gain confidence and prepare to become an investor on a larger scale.
3 – You Need a Budget: Get out of debt
Price: Free 34-day trial (no credit card required), then $6.99 per month
Function: Budgeting service that helps break the paycheck-to-paycheck cycle and get families out of debt
About You Need a Budget (YNAB)
You Need a Budget is our favorite budgeting service – it’s helped thousands of families get out of debt and build healthier financial habits. But for it to work, you need to keep your budget top of mind.
The YNAB app lets you manually input expenses – especially important when you purchase with cash and might forget – check in on your budget and goals, and sync new expenses from linked accounts.
More than any other budgeting service, YNAB understands that life is unpredictable. And it gives you the tools to roll with the punches and keep working towards your goals.
4 – Trim: An assistant that saves you money
Price: FREE!
Function: Digital assistant that can negotiate bills, cancel subscriptions, and get refunds for price drops
About Trim
No one wants to sit on hold with the cable company for 2 hours, even if it does save you some cash. But Trim doesn’t want you to leave money on the table. So, it will negotiate for you.
Securely connect your accounts to Trim and it will analyze your expenses, looking for places to negotiate for lower rates, cancel recurring subscriptions you may have forgotten about, or get your money back if prices dropped on a product after you made a purchase or shipping is delayed.
Just skim through Trim’s suggestions, set it to work on the expenses you want them to negotiate or cancel, and go back to your life. No time on the phone with customer service.
It’s magical.
5 – Ibotta: Reduce your grocery bill
Price: FREE!
Function: Get cash rebates from your grocery bill (and a growing number of other retailers)
About Ibotta
Don’t want to clip coupons but want money back on grocery items from produce and milk to Fruity Pebbles and ice cream? Ibotta’s got your back.
With Ibotta, you can find cash back offers for products in your local store. Add the offers you wish to use to your account and simply take a photo of your receipt after you shop. You’ll get cash back in your Ibotta account that can be transferred to your PayPal account or by choosing gift cards to major retailers.
Add friends in the app and submit multiple receipts throughout the month to snag bonuses and increase your savings.
6 – Personal Capital: Track your investments
Price: FREE!
Function: See all your investments, performance, and cash flow in one place
About Personal Capital
Have multiple bank accounts, a 401(k), brokerage, mortgage, and car payment? Sick of logging in (and remembering the passwords) to all your different accounts? Personal Capital lets you monitor it all in one place to get a full picture of your financial standing at any given time.
Track your net worth, see how your spending stacks up to your income, and use the robust retirement calculator to determine if you’re on track to reach your goals.
Personal Capital is a great tool to keep an eye on your portfolio, giving you a breakdown of performance, asset allocation, and fees.
7 – Digit: Automate your savings
Price: Free for 30 days, then $2.99 per month
Function: Automatically move money into your savings account
About Digit
Like the Acorns app, you can use the Digit app to save a little money each week. This app uses a very advanced set of algorithms to analyze your exact spending habits. Yes, I realize the term algorithm conjures up thoughts of computer programming and coding but stay with me here. The result of this is a system that will automatically set aside money for whatever your goal is. Whether it’s tackling credit card debt, saving for a car, it doesn’t matter.
I love the added layer of overdraft protection you will receive from Digit if the app somehow overdraws too much for your savings.
The Digit money saving app is perfect for the person needs to operate under an “out of sight, out of mind” mentality when it comes to setting money aside. While there is a small monthly fee, users of this app find it truly helps them set aside money that they never even miss.
8 – SnipSnap: Never forget a coupon
Price: FREE!
Function: Organize and save coupons digitally
About SnipSnap
Coupons can save you a lot of money. (And apparently get you on some crazy reality shows.) But remembering to actually flip through the local paper, cut out coupons, and then bring them with you is just a feat too demanding.
We brought the kids and the reusable grocery bags to the store, what more do they want from us?
With SnipSnap, you can search the app’s database of coupons and click to add them to your app. Or, if you find a paper coupon, simply snap a photo and have it available to use whenever you need it.
When you get to checkout, scan the barcode directly from your phone to save.
Money Savings Apps Are a Tool for Financial Success
Using one, or more, money-saving apps can help you change your habits. It can keep your finances front-of-mind so things don’t fall through the cracks and help improve your money mindset. Download your favorite app on this list today and start moving towards your goals. Because life is busy, but the right app can make things just a little easier.
What is your favorite money app and what has it helped you achieve? Share in the comments!
