top of page
  • Writer's pictureSteve Santora

Top Budget Apps for 2020

Updated: Mar 16, 2022


apps on a mobile phone

Before I get into the list I want to say that the things you should be working on in addition to getting ahold of your budget is your 2020 vision, habits and learning plan. My recommendations are to get a vision board created. Here's a link to Jack Canfields method: https://www.jackcanfield.com/blog/how-to-create-an-empowering-vision-book/

I created a vision board in my late 30's and looking back most of the things on that board I have achieved.. so it's time for a new board :) Married (check). Kids (check). Subaru (check). Debt free (check). Fitness good (check). Full time entrepreneur (Not checked.. but trying).

Next focus on getting a solid habit plan going. For this I like James Clear's Atomic Habits and the journal that goes with it. I've been using this for 2 weeks and already see a difference in my overall attitude.

Finally focus on a learning plan. This will require that you set aside a learning budget for 2020 and talk to your partner if you have one so that they can incorporate there's also. I'm working through my learning calendar for 2020.. but needless to say you should look at a calendar and google all the trainings you can do in person, at conferences or online. Schedule them on your calendar.

Okay so your top budget apps for 2020 with a few comments about them from me.

1. Personal Capital: A top budget and investment tracker on most best lists. So it works like the rest in that you enter all you account info in and it shows a dashboard of banks, investment accounts to give you a picture of your spending and networth in one view. What I noticed using it for a year is that I did look at my networth and it became a thing for me. I also started thinking about my spending more since the app tracks that as well. It shows me categories of spending and some level of detail. Overall I like it. That said if you're savings account balance starts to get large expect a call from one of their brokers since they can see what's in your liquid and investment accounts. They will want to schedule time to convince you that you should use them as a investment advisor. I guess that's okay for some.. just not me.

2. Mint: Mint is one of the original budgeting tools. I have dabbled with it and it is a clear winner for budgeting purposes for most people. It's been acquired by Intuit. It has a neat feature called Mintsights to give you personal savings recommendations based on your spending. It makes money by suggesting credit cards and other financial products to you.

3. YNAB: is another budget tool that's been around for a few years. It gives a job to all money being spent so that savings become the priority and claims that it can save people hundreds by the 2nd month. It charges $7 per month after 30 day trial.

4. Clarity: Acquired by Marcus (Goldman Sachs) last year is a budget app that has niched into canceling unwanted subscriptions or helping negotiate better terms. Marcus is a online bank that has higher than normal savings rates. For example as of this writing the rate is 1.7% which is sad but that is the sign of the central bank times. (Central banks are keeping rates low artificially and in doing so punishing savers by forcing them into riskier assets)

10 views0 comments

Comments


bottom of page