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Your must-have list of household budgeting tools that are FREE.
Crisis can hit anytime and it can catch us when we least expect it. As a result, it can easily wreck your finance, if you are not prepared.
So if you did not get a chance to get your finances in order, now is the time to do it.
I cannot emphasize it enough that everyone needs a budget and should have a budget. If you think about it, we should be the one in control of our money, not the other way around.
I had made a mistake of not starting budgeting earlier in my life. I felt like I wasted so much of my hard-earned money on things I did not even know.
We work hard to earn so it’s just right to be aware where every penny went.
Everyone is different so everyone does things differently. And when it comes to budgeting, everyone has their own comfort zone.
Some people prefer to write details down on paper and some prefer the convenience of computers. However, tallying up every dollar that comes in and goes out can soon feel so tiring that you get frustrated.
By using budgeting apps, you can easily save time and effort in managing your money.
Below are some of the free budgeting tools that I personally use or used to manage our monthly budget.
Check out Best Guide to a Monthly Budget to get an idea on how to start a budget.
Free Household Budgeting Tools
Wally
If you are looking for an app dedicated for just budgeting, then the Wally app is the one for you.
This app tracks your income, expenses and helps you achieve your goals. It is available to iPhone and Android for Free.
It also lets you save a picture of your receipt for ease of tracking. The best thing about this app is that it is also available to all currencies which makes it perfect for those who live outside the United States.
Excel or Numbers
I have always been fond of Numbers and up to now, it is still the one I use. I use this to keep track of the accounts I have.
You usually get it for free if you have a Mac, iPhone or iPad.
Some people swears by Excel so just use whichever you’re comfortable with.
Envelopes
This is one of the budgeting tools which is perfect for those who prefer to do the cash system only budgeting. Each envelope is a category that corresponds to one of your monthly budget items, like grocery, entertainment, fuel money, etc.
Each envelope contains the amount you allocated for each category in CASH. This method lets you see how much you have left each time. Remember, when the cash is gone, it is gone, you have to work around it
Check these cute cash envelopes wallet for budgeting or these pretty cash envelope templates that you can instantly download.
Every Dollar
Every dollar is a free budgeting app, which ties to the baby step principle of Dave Ramsay. In this app, you can set up your monthly budget, then manually put in your expenses each time you buy something.
You can have this automated if you have your bank accounts connected. This is available on the paid version.
PocketGuard
If you are looking for an app that can easily integrates with your bank account, then PocketGuard is for you.
The app analyzes your spending habits based on your transactions and builds a budget for you. The best part is it lets you know when you have leftover money.
With this app, you also have the ability to set goals like lowering your monthly bills, saving more money or investing more.
Mint
Mint is another budget app where you can have all your bills, bank accounts, credit cards, investments, mortgage and monthly budget in one place.
It tracks your credit score too. And most importantly, it is FREE.
If you want to take your budgeting skills to the next level, you can try out Honey Money. It is an online app that does not only track your expenses but it also offers financial planning. You can try it for FREE.
Personal Capital
Personal Capital is like Mint, it is also FREE. It is more detailed than Mint because it tracks your net worth, your cash flow, your portfolio, your investments, and more.
I just started using Personal Capital and I like how it focuses more on investment. It gave me an idea on better investment planning.
You Need A Budget
YNAB (You Need A Budget) is actually a paid app but it is worth adding. However, you have the opportunity to try it for free.
This app makes the subscription worth it by having a lot of features that make a comprehensive budget. Its envelope-based system puts every dollar to work.
The best thing about YNAB is its debt pay off feature which allows you to focus on paying off your debt and gives you motivation by tracking your progress.
It also uses the approach that makes last month’s income take care of the current month’s expenses, which allows you to get ahead in your budget and not live paycheck to paycheck.
Final Thoughts on the Best Tools For Budgeting
Budgeting should neither be overwhelming nor daunting. There are tools that can help ease the burden. And the best part is that they are free.
You can upgrade to the paid version if you want or if you feel like that there is a need but the free version does the work as well. I have been using the free version of Everydollar and until now, it still works.
You just have to choose what you are comfortable with and stick with it. You do not have to use all of the tools available out there.
Which one of the household budgeting tools is your favorite?
Related Budgeting Tools Articles:
- Best Budgeting Apps
- Budgeting Goals
- How To Stick To A Budget
- How To Start A Monthly Budget
- Benefits of Budgeting