Saving money is hard, especially for people who have difficulty just making ends meet. Still, saving money is an essential part of preparing for the future. If you feel like that’s impossible, try these three apps. They’ll get your saving back on track.
BillGuard
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BillGuard turns Android phones into virtual money managers that track every expense and try to help you spend less while saving more. BillGuard does this by connecting all of your expenses to see how they fit your budget.
Tracking is a big part of this app’s effectiveness. If you spend $100 on clothing at the mall, it doesn’t just say “$100 – mall.” You can set it to show exactly how much money you spent on each item. This helps because you can look at your purchase history to see that, while you really did need that new pair of shoes, you probably didn’t need to spend money on another pair of pants that you’ll never wear.
BillGuard also helps you save money by searching the Internet for coupons that could make expenses more affordable. Don’t worry about getting a barrage of coupon offers from companies you never shop with. You can create a filter that only allows deals from merchants you know and like.
Synchronize BillGuard with your bank and credit card accounts to access even more information about your financial habits. This is a comprehensive app that gives you a lot of numbers. If you’ve never set a budget before, you might feel a little intimidated. Beginners can learn to use BillGuard quickly, but they may want to start with simpler apps that don’t give them as many options.
Level Money
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Level Money stands out for its great interface. The app tracks every cent you spend and categorizes by time so you can see that while you only spent $10 today, you’ve spent $100 this week and $500 this month. It offers a realistic look at your expenses so you can’t trick yourself into believing that you have more money than you actually do.
The app also shows you how much money you have left to spend. For instance, if you know you have $3,000 that you can spend this month, it will tell you how much of that remains. Again, this app makes it pretty difficult to fool yourself into spending more than you can afford.
Level Money will also help you set aside more funds for saving. Simple charts show your saving and spending trends over time. As you save more, the software adjusts to accommodate the larger numbers. You can even set a monthly savings goal to make sure you don’t spend the money you intend to save.
If you want an app that gives you full access to your spending and saving history, Level Money is a great place to start.
Spendee
Image via Google Play
Spendee doesn’t necessarily have better tools than BillGuard or Level Money, but it does have an attractive interface that makes it fun to use. Instead of getting anxious when you sit down to look at your finances, you start to look forward to it.
Spendee transforms your money into colorful charts so you can see where you’re spending too much. The more information you give it, the more detailed and useful the charts get. If you spend too much money on a nonessential item, you’ll see it right there on the screen. Seeing that you can’t afford to watch a new movie every week might break your heart a little, but realizations like that are often the first steps toward saving more money.
Users who don’t have much experience with finance apps will appreciate how easy Spendee is to use. It has intuitive controls that respond to touches, taps, and swipes. By making the app easy to use, the designers make it easier for you to change your spending and saving habits with minimum anxiety.
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Personal Capital lets you see all of your accounts in one convenient place. Sign up now for free.Do you think that a smartphone app would help you get your saving back on track? What features do you want most from your app?
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