4 Money-saving apps you should try
Saving money can be hard, but it doesn’t have to be. While there are financial literacy courses and financial coaches you can turn to for advice on getting your pockets in order, sometimes the best way to save is to do it without actually knowing you’re saving. Below are four apps that will help you passively-aggressively save money in ways you didn’t even know were possible, while also highlighting flaws in your spending habits that will help you to tighten your budget.
1. Digit:
Digit is the perfect app to rely on if you’re trying to save for an upcoming vacation, big purchase, or simply just for a rainy day. It calculates how much money you can save by looking at your income and spending habits and then tucks that money away into a secured digital account. Each day you receive a text with an update on your new checking balance and you will receive updates on how much money you have saved with Digit so far. If you ever want to withdraw money, you just text “withdraw” and the money will typically show up in your bank account the next day. You can even make note of why you’re withdrawing the money to keep track of what you spent it on. The app offers you a free 100-day trial and after that, you pay a $2.99 monthly fee.
2. Acorns:
If you’re interested in investing in stocks but you’re unsure of where to start, then Acorns is the app for you. Acorns round up your purchases to the nearest dollar and tuck away the remaining change into an investment account. For example, if you spend $50.30 at the grocery store, Acorns will round that up to $51 and use the rest of your $.70 for an investment portfolio.
3. Qapital:
Similar to Acorns, Qapital also rounds your purchases up to the next dollar amount. The app also lets you set up rules to hit your budget goals. For example, the app automatically lets you transfer money into your account when you spend less than you budgeted for something or when you spend money on something you have identified as a “guilty pleasure.” Also, if you need a little bit of friendly pressure, you can let family and friends track your progress to see how you’re staying on budget.
4. Mint:
Mint is one of the best apps available for helping you to keep track of your spending habits and adjusting your financial behavior. Every transaction from your checking, savings, retirement and any other account you want to monitor can be tracked using Mint. The app helps you to create a budget by making note of your spending habits and it even creates graphs to give you a visual idea of your cash flow.