For many people, the ability to budget and save money is quite difficult. We all get bombarded with a plethora of marketing schemes that tempt us into spending our money rather than saving it. Luckily, the convenience of technology has allowed for many apps to come about and remedy this problem. Most of them usually work in the background to figure out how to save a few dollars here and there in ways you might not even notice and require little effort from the users. So, here are some great apps you can use to help you save money.
Joy is a pretty new app that uses some of the same psychological tricks dating apps use, but to help your finances rather than your love life. The way Joy works is by offering you a virtual money coach who is tailored to your specific behavior. This has been designed through the insight from a team of clinical psychologists and neuroscientists. You will rate purchases on whether they make you happy or sad. Then, the app helps you find areas where you can cut back and gives daily savings recommendations. The money you save can even be dropped into a free FDIC-insured savings account. Joy is currently available on the iOS platform.
Mint is another great budgeting app available for both Android and iOS users. Mint was created by the same team that created TurboTax and Quicken. The way it works is by creating a personalized budget for you based on your financial data. It then notifies you of any unusual charges and gives information on how you can reduce the money spent on monthly bills and fees. One of its best features is that it shows you your credit score, allowing you to see the overall condition of your finances. You only need to connect your bank to the Mint app, and it will do the rest of the work for you. Another unique aspect of Mint is the investment tracker feature which allows you to compare your portfolio with market benchmarks and track your asset allocations across platforms like your mutual funds and 401(k).
Regardless of age, credit is a subject that can be hard to understand fully; and even though it is important to build up to get home or car loans, it can be a hassle to go through an endless amount of credit cards offering enticing rewards. This is where Wallaby comes to the rescue. This app directs you to the credit cards that you would actually enjoy using based on the rewards they offer for various brands and retailers and the interest rates. It will also look at your transactions to ensure that you are getting the full bonuses and will keep track of the spending on credit limits. The app’s streamlined design also makes it easy to determine which card to use where. Wallaby is available for both iOS and Android users.