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Money management apps and where to find them
The internet is both a blessing and a curse. Yes, it’s full of trolls who create fake accounts to make nasty comments to strangers, but it’s also full of helpful websites and apps to help you improve your life. The new year is a great time to re-evaluate what’s going on in your life; whether it be in terms of health, career, or finances. I’m afraid that this article is not going to help you lose weight or land your dream job, but it will point you in the direction of some helpful budgeting apps that might help you keep your fiscal resolutions. Phones and computers cost enough, let them earn their keep!
Money Dashboard is a free app that’s available on your desktop, iOS, and Android. You log in to your financial accounts to create a personal dashboard – don’t worry, it’s a read-only service so your information can’t be used and it promises bank level security. The interface is very easy to understand as it uses simple pie charts to help you ascertain where your money is going. You can view it in categories (like household, leisure, travel, etc.), or you can see an itemised list of your spending – helping you to see where there are savings to be made! If you find yourself broke before pay day and you just don’t know where all your money has gone, this is a great app for you.
Wally is currently available on iOS and Android (the Android version is called Wally+). It is free to use, and is also ad free which is great if pop-ups get on your nerves. You can set any currency to work in – this is useful not only for UK residents (a lot of these apps are made in the States and work on US Dollars), but also good if you’re going abroad and want to keep an eye on your spending. This app allows you to set a daily budget, and shows you how much money you have left before you exceed it – very useful. It also allows you to photograph and save receipts, allowing you to track spending done with old school cash monies instead of with your card.
Toshl is available on iOS, Android, and Windows phone, as well as desktop – so, finally other people, like my other half who has a Windows phone, can get in on the app action. Toshl has a great set up for even the biggest technophobe, with step by step tutorials on their website (with pictures!). It has some great, easy to read graphics, and has the capability to set reminders for bills. This also makes it a great app if you often forget when your direct debits are due, or if there’s a bill that you have to pay manually. This app also has little monster characters knocking around looking after your money which, I must say, I love!
The Moneyfy app has both a free and a paid version on Android, and only a paid app on iOS (you know my feelings on paid apps…). This app’s USP is that you can sync it between multiple devices, so if you switch between a phone and a tablet you can have the information to hand (it uses Dropbox for this, so I assume you must also have an account with them). This also means you can track expenses with your partner – budgeting together, like budget buddies. It’s very easy to use and you can add amounts quickly. Like other apps, it displays your spending graphically, and has nice little icons, too. A great one if you are the family financial manager.
OnTrees is the budgeting app from Money Supermarket, so this has the added bonus of being launched by an already trusted brand. It’s available on Android and iOS, as well as on your desktop. The graphical layout of your spending is very clear and colourful, and it syncs with you bank accounts so you can always see your current balances. It’s not the most exciting budgeting app out there, but it’s completely free, comes from a trusted source, and is easy to use. It’s great if you just want something simple to help you keep track of your money.
As you can see, there are a lot of great options out there that are really easy to use and will help you keep an eye on your spending. Whether you’re saving for something fun like a holiday, or just want to feel less stressed by the time pay day rolls around, one of these apps could help you track where you’re spending and make you think before you whip your card out. Time to get your head out of the sand, and into the app store!
