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For many people, managing their finances can be the number one cause of stress. Whether you’re barely scraping by or trying to explore the world of investments, it can be intimidating to do it alone. Thankfully, money-saving apps can help you budget, track expenses, and make smarter financial decisions with ease.
Luckily, there are tools to help you along the way. Financial experts have developed a list of their favorite apps to help people control their hard-earned money. If you are looking for a resource to help guide you on your way to financial freedom, consider adding one of these apps to help get you going.
We’ve highlighted 15 of these money apps in the list that follows. Some are familiar, and others aren’t. Try them out, and we’re confident you will find one that works for you.
1. You Need a Budget (YNAB)
Having a budget is the easiest way to keep track of your bills and track your spending. That’s where YNAB comes in. YNAB can help individuals organize finances, set goals, and save for the future.
YNAB follows four rules: Give every dollar a job and categorize how you spend each dollar; embrace true expenses and be prepared for large purchases; roll with the punches by allowing flexibility on your budget; manage your money and spend less than you earn.
2. Goodbudget
Another great app for personal budgeting is Goodbudget. This app uses a traditional envelope system to allocate funds for monthly purchases or savings. These digital envelopes act like filing cabinets that hold your money for future bills and purchases.
The app can manage multiple users for partners who share finances. It also has reporting tools that highlight your spending habits.
3. Trim
Trim is like having your own financial expert at your fingertips. The automated app can sync your accounts, analyze spending habits, and advise on areas where you can trim your budget. It streamlines savings by automatically moving funds to a high-yield savings account. Trim can help you find subscriptions you thought you canceled, discounted rates on internet and cable, and negotiate the best rates without dealing with anyone. Trim can also fight for lower interest rates and deal with medical bills.
4. Ibotta
Ibotta is a free app that helps users earn money back when they shop online or at the grocery store. IIts creators have partnered with hundreds of retailers, restaurants, home improvement centers, and pharmacies to find digital coupons or rewards that put money back in the user’s pocket.
The app allows you to link loyalty accounts so it finds deals and discounts where you shop the most. Oh, and did I mention it’s free?
5. Chime
Chime’s main goal is to automate savings. When a user links a Chime checking account with a Chime savings account, they can set up a direct deposit from a paycheck directly to savings of up to 10 percent. You can also use your Chime Visa card to round up your daily transactions to the nearest dollar, with the change going to savings.
The automated app also provides free transfers, overdraft protection, access to free ATMs, and compatibility with Google and Apple Pay.
6. Qapital
Qapital aims to make money management easier and a natural part of daily life. The app allows users to set savings goals and rules for reaching them. You can set traditional weekly or monthly transfers of funds or get creative.
You can set your account to transfer to savings every time you splurge on a coffee, spend less than you usually do on a specific day, or even every time you post on Instagram. It’s like saving money without even noticing.
7. Acorns
Acorn is an ideal app for people looking to build their financial portfolio with a small initial investment. New users will complete a survey addressing their goals, risk tolerance, and timeline while it designs a program around their needs. is developed
Users can then add funds manually or by rounding up debit and credit card purchases. The no-minimum investment requirement is perfect for those looking to dip their toes in investments and stocks.
8. Retailmenot
Do you want to save money on retail purchases? Download the RetailMeNot app to help find coupons, discounts, rebates, and promo codes that can save you money at all your favorite stores.
The app was once only used for restaurants and clothing stores but has expanded lately. You can now use it at retailers like Target, Kohl, Walmart, Costco, Amazon, Best Buy, Etsy, and Macy’s. It even has deals on discounted travel options.
9. Honey
Honey is another coupon-based app that finds discounts on the items you purchase most often. The app connects to over 30,000 retailers, restaurants, and travel sites.
This free app can benefit you if you frequent stores like Nike, JCPenney’s, Nordstrom, Target, Kohl, Gamestop, or Forever 21. It also works with entertainment sites like StubHub and Seat Geek and travel sites like Expedia and Orbitz.
10. Mint With Credit Karma
Mint recently teamed up with Credit Karma to help its users track spending, review transactions, and grow wealth. Users can link their accounts into one portal, making it easy to see their money all in one place. You can set budgets, manage investments, and improve spending habits from there.
Now that they have partnered with Credit Karma, users can monitor their credit all in one easy-to-use app.
11. Albert
Albert combines all your banking and investment information in one platform, making it one of the most accessible financial apps. You can start investing with as little as $1, and with an Albert Debit card, users can get cash back rewards when purchasing groceries, gas, food delivery, or using a rideshare program. It also gives users access to their paychecks up to two days early.
The Albert app is initially free. There are zero over-draft fees, maintenance fees, or minimum balance. For $14.99 a month, you can get access to a team of financial advisors and 24/7 real-time alerts of suspicious activity.
12. Allo
Allo describes its app as “a one-of-a-kind budgeting app built for those who don’t love to budget.” New users undergo an introduction course, where experts teach them how to feel more confident about their finances.
After that, the app focuses on the user’s values (health, relationships, future) rather than traditional categories like spending. The app wants you to know your feelings about money, which can be vital in successful budgeting. The app offers a free trial but jumps to $49.99 a year afterward.
13. Silver
Silver is an extension browser designed to save money on purchases. It may qualify for reimbursement through your FSA or HSA. They have support from 55 different FSA and HSA providers.
Linking your accounts at pharmacies and major retailers like Amazon, Costco, and Target, Silver scans your receipts and searches for any deals you missed. From there, Silver can create a reimbursement claim for a small fee or allow you to submit your claim for free.
14. Upside
With gas prices rising, everyone wants to save money at the pump. Upside connects its users to a map of participating gas stations that offer discount rates. Users can access the pump and take a picture of their receipt, and the app will pay them for shopping at that gas station. Deals can range up to $.25 off a gallon of gas.
The app also offers discounts for first-time users and for referring friends to the app. The app has recently branched out to local restaurants and grocery stores.
15 Smart Tips for Living Well on a Strict Budget
In today’s economy, strict budgeting has become a reality for many, sometimes involuntarily. With fast fashion and rapidly changing trends, temptations are on the rise. Mastering a budgeting mindset can empower a person to manage their finances responsibly. It’s a step towards achieving self-fulfillment while leaving room for some fun.
41 Shocking Ways You’re Throwing Money Down the Drain
There are many ways to increase the money in your bank account. Many people start by looking at ways to make more money. And, of course, that is a great solution. But it isn’t always the easiest. A better, easier way may be to examine your spending habits. By tracking your spending and seeing where every dollar goes, you’ll likely find several instances of spending money you don’t have to. It could be little things that add up or recurring monthly expenses that are an utter waste of money.
Once you eliminate your bad spending habits, that money can go toward your emergency fund, paying off debt, or other essential things. Here are the 41 biggest wastes of money to look out for:
