With some focused organization and great resources, you can plan your budget easily and effectively. With so many choices available today, you can find great tools to work with, both online and offline.
‘’There are dozens of great tools which make organizing simpler for people looking to save money and organize their budget. When you find one, the next step you should take is sticking to your plan,” – explains Sarah Pierce, finance writing expert at AustralianEssays.
So, if you are ready to introduce a turning point into your life and get rid of all that stress that results from poorly managed
budget, here are some great tools that’ll help you succeed.
1. A Pen and A Paper
You don’t need fancy applications to plan your budget. If you don’t get along with technology, use a pen and a paper. Write down your monthly income and expenses, and then do the math.
2. Spreadsheet
Google Sheets and Microsoft Excel can make all the difference between spending uncontrollably and maintaining a great budget. Use them wisely!
3. Notebook
Use a spending notebook. This is your safest and most reliable way to track all expenses, wherever you are. After only a month of tracking, you’ll know the answer to the question: ‘Where do all my money go?’’
4. Envelope
Seta targeted amount to spend on things, and label several envelops (such as bills, rent, food, gas, etc.). Fill them in with
cash. Use your income to plan for these expected spending categories. Keep an envelope with some extra cash to have you covered in case of emergencies.
5. Card
Use cards for budget management. Some prepaid and credit cards have excellent budgeting features you can use to categorize your purchases, as well as track your spending.
6. Bank
Ask your bank about budgeting tools, spend tracking, and automated tools. They usually are very helpful and responsive. Try Virtual Wallet.
7. Online Tools
Youneedabudget.com
The app does not create budgets for future incomes, but helps you use the ones you have already earned. In addition, you’ll find some great graphs and reports that’ll help you keep track of your spending.
Quicken.com
Quicken is specifically designed to handle investments, budgeting, bill pay, and reporting. The app connects you to your bank accounts and allows you to download your transactions, and sync all data.
PersonalCapital.com
This tool has a free-of-charge dashboard that you can use to track all your investments, as well as your budget. You can link all kinds of accounts here, including banking, investment, and retirement.
Mint.com
Intuit owns both Mint and Quicken, placing them both on the top of any budget management lists. With Mint, you can sync bank accounts, investment accounts, and even credit card statements, as well as get helpful information on spending and budgeting.
Pearbudget.com
This app first started as a spreadsheet, but is now a more advanced tool with several expense categories, planning and goal-setting tools.
This is a short, but very helpful list for budget organization. Select your favorite tools from it and start spending money smart!
8. A Monthly Plan
Design a plan for your future financial activities. When you encounter that “spending” temptation, quickly think of our plan, and keep the money in your wallet.
9. Facebook Groups
If you can’t handle your spending, ask for help. Join a Facebook group like Dough Rollers, and stay on the right track by subscribing to their page.
10. Albert
If you want a personal financial assistant, ask Albert to do the work for you. This financial planning app keeps track of your accounts and provides great recommendations.
Howard Robson is a blogger from Melbourne. He enjoys travelling, photography, computer games and meeting new people. So, feel free to join him on Twitter and Facebook.
