It's a new year and a fresh start. It's so fun to make new goals at the beginning of every year. I have big goals this year, one is to really make a large dent in our mortgage. In order to do that, I want to make sure that we put every penny we can toward the mortgage.
It's funny, because as my husband and I are planning we start to realize how different we are. I am totally a pencil and paper type girl. I like to see everything in front of me and write it down. My hubby, on the other hand, is all about the latest and greatest budgeting tools. He loves computer budgeting and apps. So while he is on the computer, I have my handy-dandy notebook that I write things down in.
The nice part is that there are so many budgeting tools no matter how you like to do things. You really have no excuse not to start budgeting today. So, if you have put it off, check out these 5 tools to whip your budget into shape.
You Need A Budget
You Need a Budget is an easy budgeting tool that keeps all your info in one place. It syncs with your bank to keep everything up to date. They also offer free budgeting classes. YNAB encourages you to live on last month's income and has some great tools to help you become debt free. You can try out YNAB free for the first 34 days, but after that, it is $50 a year.
Mint
If you are looking for a very simple and easy budgeting approach Mint is great. It's easy to make a monthly budget in different categories that you need. Then when you exceed your monthly budget Mint will send you a notification. If you are looking to automate your finances Mint is a great way to do it. Plus, it's completely free!
Real Life On A Budget Planner
If you are a pencil and paper type person like me this Real Life on a Budget Planner would be perfect. It has a debt repayment tracker, month goals, expense tracker, and more. Plus there is a great video on how to put together the binder. It doesn't hurt that the planner is so pretty too!
Every Dollar
Dave Ramsey's Every Dollar is a great budgeting tool if you prefer to use electronics to track your budget. It's free to use and it has an app for easy use on your phone. It's also very easy to use and quickly create a budget. You can get your budget up and running in under 10 minutes. Every Dollar also has a paid for version with some extra features for $99 a year.
Quicken
Quicken is my husband's favorite budgeting tool and believe me, he has been through a lot of them! Quicken is fairly cheap to use. You can get it for around $35 on Amazon. Although Quicken may take a little longer to set it up once you have everything set up it is very easy to use. It's nice to be able to see everything in one place, too. With Quicken you can keep track of your investments like 401k's and college accounts.
You can save more money, pay off debt faster, or plan for that big vacation with these easy to use budgeting tools. What is your favorite budgeting tool?
Lindsey says
I love using Mint! It's such a great way for us to track our expenses.
Karlynn says
How do you know Mint app ( or any app) is secure? I am hesitant about linking my bank and credit cards.
Julie says
I normally look for an app that has been around for a while and that has good reviews. I am always a little hesitant linking information through apps but if I know that the company has been around for 4-5 years with no complaints then I feel more comfortable. You can read more about the security of Mint in the link below.
https://www.mint.com/how-mint-works/security
Karlynn says
Thank you so much.......very helpful.
dib says
I am reluctant to put that much financial info on an online app.
i guess I am slightly behind in exposing all of me online.
For something this personal , I ll stick to pencil and paper.
Cheri Jo Gillis says
What is your thoughts on "prism" I have it and works ok
Julie says
I'm sorry, I am not at all familiar with prism.