Save, Spend, Invest: 4 Finance Apps You Need

Saving and investing don’t come naturally for most people, which can make it difficult to build up an emergency fund or get ahead financially. Luckily, in today’s high tech environment, it’s easy to make up for a lack of knowledge with the right tools. In fact, you can fit a lifetime of financial knowledge in your pocket. All you need are the right apps. You can compare saving accounts side by side on Lending Expert.

Start transforming your financial future today by downloading these 4 foolproof tools. Before you know it, you’ll be the person your friends come to for financial advice.

Get Fresh Finances With Mint

Mint is a classic personal finance app, and has been available for desktop use since as early as 2006. Now part of the Intuit family, Mint’s app keeps track of all your accounts, including investment accounts, credit cards, and loans so you never miss a deadline. It will also provide quarterly credit report updates, budgeting, and savings tutorials. Considering that it’s a free app, Mint offers maximum functionality in an easy to use interface.

Become A Budget Master

Budgeting is a vital financial skill, but most people keep only loose budgets and rarely stick to them strictly. That’s why it’s important to choose a budgeting app that holds you accountable. Though Mint does offer budgeting options, it may not be the best for those who are trying to master the task. For those who need stricter guidelines, You Need A Budget (YNAB) may be a better option.

YNAB is a proven debt buster, even if it will take a bite out of your budget at $50 a year. Luckily, you can try it free for 34 days. What makes this app better than most other finance tools, though, is that it relies on a high-tech version of envelope budgeting, which means you can only allocate money you actually have. Use even a cent extra and you’ll be in the red. YNAB will motivate you to budget right.

Save When You Shop

If you’re not looking for ways to save when you shop, you’re doing your budget a disservice. Take a minute to download ShopSavvy, a handy price comparison app. Use it to scan barcodes when shopping and the app will show you other prices, local deals, and more. You can also search within ShopSavvy before you head out in order to determine what stores have the best deals.

Invest On The Go

While a savings account will never let you down, if you want to make real financial gains, you need to learn to invest. For the easiest approach, consider an app like Acorns, which builds a diversified investment profile by rounding up your day-to-day transactions. Though small accounts cost a dollar a month, by investing in exchange traded funds (ETFs), you’ll hopefully be bringing in more than that.

College students can also get a jump on investing by using Acorns for free for 4 years from the data of registration, so encourage the young people in your life to take control of their financial futures with this simple app. Since Acorn chooses the ETFs for you, it’s truly reliable, low-stress investing.

Saving and investing are as easy as spending money with the rise of new financial apps, so be sure to put them to use. They’re certainly a better use of your time than endless games of Candy Crush, and who couldn’t use a little extra money in the bank?