Turn saving money talk into action with these budgeting apps

Wednesday, May 23, 2018
Apps to help you budget
How finance apps can help you budget.

We all talk about saving money, staying on a budget or investing for the future. But there are five apps that can help you turn that talk into action.

Personal Capital

With this free app, you can track your spending, set up a budget and see your net worth instantly. The app lets you link your credit cards, bank accounts and investments and then it imports all your spending and savings to keep you on track.

It will even tell you if you're saving enough and whether your investments carry expensive fees.

Mint

This app is also free and allows you to track your spending.

It will tell you when your bills are due and how much you owe. It will also send you reminders when it's time to pay your bills so you avoid late fees.

Credit Karma

To get a loan or an apartment, you need a credit score. That's where Credit Karma comes in.

It's a free app that monitors your credit scores from the credit bureaus. It will also tell you how you can improve your credit score with certain credit cards and loans that fit your budget.

Credit Karma will even give you daily updates on how you're doing.

Acorns

With the Acorns app, you can squirrel away money without really knowing it.

Every time you make a purchase with a credit or debit card connected to the app, Acorns rounds that figure up to the next highest dollar and automatically invests the difference in a mutual fund for you.

Acorns makes saving so painless, you won't even notice the difference.

It adds up quickly. At the end of the year, you could have a mutual fund worth a thousand dollars or more.

Venmo

The Venmo app is the easy way to pay for purchases and get paid from friends or others who owe you money.

If you're out for dinner with friends, Venmo automatically splits the bill and deducts from each of you. No more shaming people into paying up. And if you sell something, someone can pay you easily without cash or check.