Budgeting on the go with a reliable smartphone app makes it easier to monitor your spending in relation to your income. A good budgeting app does not have to break your budget, though. These three free apps are available for both Apple and Android devices.
- Level Money
Level Money is a simple budgeting app that lets you know how much how much money you have left to spend. After you link up your bank and credit card accounts, Level Money will show you how much money you have left to spend today, this week, and this month. There is no need to enter a category to track your spending. If you want more information, tap on one of the bubbles to see where your money has gone. A simple menu allows users to tag posted and pending transactions to better track how much money is available to spend. The app uses bank-level security to protect your financial information. Level Money is targeted toward users who don’t want or need to track a detailed account of their spending, but just want to know if they are staying out of the red.
- Goodbudget (formerly Easy Envelope Budget Aid)
If you use the envelope method to keep your budget on track, Goodbudget takes it to a high tech level. Rather than stuffing actual envelopes with cash, the free version of this app allows you to track up to 20 virtual envelopes and you can track your checkbook register. It’s easy to check balances and add transactions on the go or from the web. You can sync up to two devices, and all information is backed up automatically to the web. From the web, you can import bank statements, print detailed reports to track your spending, and schedule upcoming and recurring transactions. Even though the app is free, a paid subscription offers even more options, such as unlimited envelopes and syncing for up to five devices.
- Mint
Mint is one of the most popular online budgeting platforms, and the app continues to uphold quality and popularity. Mint links all your bank accounts (checking, savings, credit, and retirement) to give you an in-depth look at your income and spending habits. Since Mint syncs automatically with your bank accounts, you don’t have to enter each transaction manually and it even assigns categories to your transactions. Top level security keeps your information safe whether you use the web version or the app. The app allows you to check balances and budget on the go. In addition, you can set up notifications for upcoming bills or low balances.
