Talking about money can be difficult. Saving money and sticking to a budget can be even harder. In 2018, we are lucky enough to have tools that can be downloaded right to our smartphones and software programs that can be added to our desktops to help us use our money wisely and stick to an allotted budget. Managing money can be challenging, and these products aim to help you understand your habits and improve them. On top of that, these tools are also simple enough to be used by someone who is not an accounting major, which is a big plus. Below, we’ll review the best budgeting tools in 2018.
Product | Pros | cons | check online |
|---|---|---|---|
Acorns | |||
Intuit Mint | |||
Quicken Premier 2018 | |||
YNAB (You Need A Budget) | |||
Joy |
Frequently Asked Questions
1. What Are Budgeting Tools?
2. What Do the Best Budgeting Tools Do?
3. Where Can You Buy the Best Budgeting Tools?
4. Which of the Best Budgeting Tools Should I Pick?
How We Reviewed
The following products were reviewed based on the following parameters: Features, Pros & Cons, Price and Where to Buy. We wanted to pick tools that were easy to use, easy to understand and had a good user rating. We also wanted to make sure they were priced reasonably and had good security measures in place so the user can have peace of mind while using them.
Overall Price Range of the Best Budgeting Tools
One can expect to spend anywhere from around $7 on simple budgeting tools to around $70 on the more advanced budgeting tools while some are available for free in your phone’s application center. With the more advanced options, you get to view investment portfolios, and you can access storage on your personalized cloud among other features you won’t have access to with the free budgeting apps. Still, the free options are great if you just want basic oversights of your spending habits and advice on how to improve your spending. Keep reading to see which tools we think are the best for budgeting, their features and their pros and cons.
What We Reviewed
Acorns
Features
Acorns is great for those who want to invest their money but aren’t sure where to start. Acorns links to your bank accounts then “rounds up” to the nearest dollar and invests that money into stocks on purchases you’ve already made. For example, if you spend $4.75 on a coffee, Acorns will automatically invest the extra 25 cents into a stock. It’s making money for you effortlessly, and you don't even have to think about it.
Pros
Cons
- Where to Buy
- Benefits
- Security/Safety
Download it today in your app store! Or head to www.acorns.com to create an account then login on the application.
Intuit Mint
Features
From the makers of QuickBooks and TurboTax comes Mint. Mint by Intuit gives a good overview of your budget and problem areas, the places you spend too much money. It sends alerts to let you know when you’re on budget and how your cash flow is each month. It also keeps track of changes in your credit score and gives you tips to improve it. If a user adds dates that bills are due, the application will send you email reminders and notifications so they are always paid on time.
Pros
Cons
- Where to Buy
- Benefits
- Security/Safety
You can head to www.mint.com to create an account, or go to your phone’s app center to download it.
Quicken Premier 2018
Features
Quicken Premier 2018 is the higher-caliber version of Mint and Acorns, encased in a software for a desktop. It combines your investment profiles, your checking accounts and your savings accounts all in one place on your desktop. You can export your spending registers to Excel and email reports from Quicken. This option seems like it would be a good fit for a small business owner because it is in-depth and provides lots of insight into spending habits.
Pros
Cons
- Where to Buy
- Benefits
- Security/Safety
This budgeting tool can be purchased and downloaded on www.quicken.com or bought from the local office supply store.
YNAB (You Need A Budget)
Features
YNAB is an abbreviation for “You Need A Budget” and helps users examine their spending habits, get out and stay out of debt and encourages them to put money away and save. They have four rules that make up the YNAB method to help you succeed. There are desktop and mobile versions available so you can view your finances on a computer screen or on your mobile device.
Pros
Cons
- Where to Buy
- Benefits
- Security/Safety
You can buy this product on www.youneedabudget.com or in your phone’s app center.
Joy
Features
Joy is a relatively new application that takes a cool view on managing your money. The whole concept is that when you spend money on experiences and other people---rather than unnecessary items---you find joy and are happier overall. You rank each of your debit card transactions with a happy or sad face to show how you feel about it, and it reminds you to put money into savings each day. The idea is that people will find happiness in taking control of their financial well-being and take steps to improve their habits. The Joy website is really interactive and provides real-life stories of users who have tried Joy and shares their spending habits.
Pros
Cons
- PRICE
- Where to Buy
- Benefits
- Security/Safety
You can find Joy for IOS or go to www.findjoy.com to create an account.
The Verdict
Different budgeting tools provide different benefits for their users. As far as the best budgeting tools, each one can help you in different areas of your financial health.
If you’re looking to invest effortlessly and not have to think about how much money to put into a portfolio, Acorns is the way to go. You don’t have to do anything to invest in popular companies other than make your regular purchases. If you’re looking for an easy to use budgeting tool that gives you reminders on when to pay your bills, Mint by Intuit is a fantastic choice. Joy provides a psychological look at why you’re spending what you are and aims to improve your happiness by helping you manage your money. YNAB sets out a clear plan for spending and helps you stick to it. For users looking to view all of their information in one place and are willing to spend a bit of money, Quicken Premier 2018 and its robust reports would be a great option for them.
All five of these products will help you better yourself financially today and prepare for whatever comes your way tomorrow.
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