The Best Personal Finance Tools
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There are tons of personal finance tools out there, some are free, some cost some money. I’ve put together a list of the best personal finance tools. These personal finance tools will help you budget better, save money, and kick debt in the face.
For Budgeting
Numbers Budget Template or Your Own Excel Spreadsheet
If you have a Mac then you have Numbers which comes with a great budget worksheet with transactions in one sheet and your budget in the other. If you know a little bit about Excel then you can build your own budget worksheet as well.
Monarch Money
Monarch Money aims to act as your assistant when it comes to your money. It does more than just budgeting, it helps keep track of your investments and provides custom dashboards so you know exactly what is happening with your finances.
Some of the featured include:
- The ability to set and track goals
- An ability to set monthly and annual budgets
- Create a calendar of all your recurring bills and subscriptions
- +more
Learn More About Monarch Money
Envelopes
Yes, the ones in your desk drawer. The simple envelope system is a great way to start budgeting because it not only restricts your spending but it also lets you visualize where all your money is going.
Want to use the envelope system but don’t want to deal with cash? Check out my How to Budget Successfully Every Time post, I outline how I used monopoly money and the envelope system.
Related:
For Frugal Living/Saving Money
Chime
I love Chime because it automates savings so I don’t have to think about it, it just sets the money aside in a savings account. Making sure I don’t end up spending it. Chime is a great way to start saving up for an emergency fund or fun money fund, whatever works for you.
Chime works by starting a spending account (takes 5 minutes) and opting into the automatic savings plan. Every time you use the Chime Debit Card it rounds up your purchase to the nearest dollar and puts in in savings. All those withdrawals add up over time. Chime is free to use, with no monthly fees. With Chime, you end up saving money without having to think about it.
Coupons
You can get them from the newspaper or in the mail. You don’t have to be an extreme couponer to quickly and easily save money. The key is to only clip coupons for things you need. Don’t buy something just because you have a coupon.
Rain Checks
If the store is out of something you wanted, especially if it was on sale ask if you can get a rain check. It will preserve the price of the item and you can get it the next time you go to the store when they are back in stock.
Is a never ending resource of frugal hacks and DIYs that can save you money. Though it only saves you money if you aren’t having to buy a ton of supplies to attempt the DIY.
Also, check to see if there is a review of the hack or DIY to see if it really works. There are some great sites out there that test Pinterest, Pinterest fails can be especially entertaining.
For Debt Repayment
Unbury.me
Unbury.me lets you imput your debt and see how long it will take you to pay it off by adjusting how much you put towards your debt. I just recently discovered this tool but I like that it clearly shows you the difference between using the snowball or avalanche method of paying off debt.
It is simple but effective because it shows you just how much each of each payment will go towards principal vs interest. It is also nice that it doesn’t require you to connect to your accounts.
Debt Payoff Assistant
This is an App that pretty much does what Unbury.me does. It’s just in an app instead of online. It breaks down each of your payments and lets you choose between the snowball or avalanche method.
Wrapping it Up with a Bow on Top
Not having money to pay for a personal finance tool is no excuse for not getting your finances in order, there are tons of tools that are free. Figure out which one will work for you based on if you are trying to budget, save, or kick debt in the face and start kicking some financial ass.
What other personal finance tools do you use? Let me know in the comments!
We have TONS of reviews on our site for the tools I like. 2 of my favorite would be personal capital (as you mentioned) and Digit.
I’m still undecided on how I feel about Digit, I’m trying it out right now.
I really wish Mint was available on the UK app store I’ve heard so many good things about it (the same goes for every dollar). For now I’m sticking to my home-made spreadsheets on excel.
I didn’t realize that Mint wasn’t available in the UK, good to know. Honestly I never stick to the apps, I love my good old fashioned excel sheet.
I really enjoy Mint for tracking expenses and budgeting. I especially love that I can see all of my account balances in one place!
Mint was great for me when I was starting to learn about budgeting.
Mint is terrific. I think it’s really just the best budgeting tool.
I love Digit! I use it all the time and love how it just ciphers out small amounts I don’t even notice. When it hits $100, I can transfer it to a savings goal.
Yes, I love Digit!
Boss list! So many I hadn’t heard of before that I’m going to have to check out!
Glad I could introduce you to some new tools!
I’ll admit that I have always seen Pinterest as more of a time and money suck than a money saver
Like any tool it all depends on how you use it.
I have been amazed by the financial tips Pinterest has to offer. At first, I thought it was all about crafts and property makeovers but there is an incredible amount of resources about finance on there too.
Yes, there is a ton on there, lots of different tips and tricks.