5 budget apps to help you save money

What is your biggest financial goal? Maybe you’re looking to save for an important purchase, pay off past debt, or just want to be more conscious about your spending habits. Budget is always a crucial place to start. You have a lot of options to start this process. You can try keeping an Excel spreadsheet containing a record of monthly purchases. Or maybe you take a more physical route, Stuff your money In labeled envelopes.

However, if you are looking for a simpler way to track your spending and on your account SmartphoneThis budget app is worth a try. Keep in mind that usually when a financial app is offered for free, it is monetized more aggressively by the company providing it. So, it might be worth getting a subscription to a paid tool for a couple of months to try out the user experience, and then cancel the subscription if it’s not a good fit.

Whether you’re looking for a whole new way to handle your needs Money mentality Or just trying to be more careful with those currencies, these five apps focus on practical tips, help with budgeting, and may help reduce overall financial stress.

January 2025: This article has been updated to reflect current details about budget applications.

Creating a budget in your head is difficult, especially if no one has shown you how to do it. YNAB (You need a budget) Makes financial planning manageable. You’ll be able to sync all your accounts, track your monthly spending, stay on top of your bills, and set aside savings for emergencies —All in one center. The company offers online workshops that can give you the skills needed to get rid of that pesky debt and increase your savings. After a 34-day free trial, YNAB costs $109 per year — but you can just factor that into your budget.

The great user experience it provides Co-pilot It makes the financial app stand out. Once linked to your bank account, transactions are automatically organized into emoji-tagged groups. The app can suggest new amounts for budget categories based on past spending and monitor recurring payments. Acorns, Robinhood, and other apps connect to Copilot to help you monitor any investments. For those overwhelmed by the idea of ​​financial tracking, Copilot is an easy entry point into the world of money management. Unfortunately, the app is only available for iOS users. After a one-month free trial, an annual subscription costs $95.

The world of investments and returns can be mysterious to a newcomer. Skip appointments with stock brokers and consider downloading Walnut instead of. It simplifies the investing process by rounding each purchase you make to the nearest dollar and automatically investing the change in a diversified portfolio. The basic service costs $3 per month, and you can cash out your investments at any time.

If you are not ready to fully immerse yourself in the risky world of investments, an opportunity (formerly known as Digit) provides another way to build your savings. It’s an automated process, just like Acorns, but instead of focusing primarily on investments, it’s geared toward saving the money you already have. Every day Oportun withdraws money from your account to deposit it in your savings account. The app monitors your spending habits and income, so it will only pull what it thinks you won’t need. Long-term investments and retirement investments are also available through Oportun. You can try it for free for 30 days, after which you will have to pay $5 per month.

It’s not a budget app, but it’s free Credit Karma The Intuit-owned app can help you decipher that credit score and how it changes over time. Your credit score is very important: lenders, landlords, and insurance companies will all want to check it. The number fluctuates and primarily tracks whether you are making your credit card or loan payments on time as well as the amount of credit you are allocated. Credit Karma collects reports from TransUnion and Equifax and then explains the factors that affect your score. Although the app is useful for tracking results, it’s best to ignore in-app advertisers who pay out loans based on your data.