Budget Tools Budget Tools

With years of testing, here are my favorite products and tools for budgeting.

These are my favorite resources.  I only share what I have personally used and recommend.  Some {but not all} of these links are affiliate links, which means I may earn a commission if you purchase {at no cost to you}.  This helps me to continue to provide as much free content as possible!

FREEBIES

BUDGETING APPS

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EMPOWER
Completely free.  Great for tracking your wealth.  You can link to your bank, credit card, and investment accounts.  t will track your transactions and categorize them for you.  You can see where your money is going and compare to previous months' spending, but it is NOT good for traditional budgeting. It is great for seeing your wealth in one spot.

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LUNCH MONEY
Great for linking to banks outside of the US and using different currencies. It allows you to create custom budget periods!!

They offer a pay what you want model starting at $50/year and you are locked into this price forever. It's 100% customer funded.
Free 30 day trial.

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MONARCH MONEY
Links to banks in the US and Canada.  It has amazing automation - more than any other app out there.

It's very visual and user friendly - you can create custom reports. You can share your budget with a partner and tag them to review transactions.
Free 7 day trial.


HIGH YIELD SAVINGS ACCOUNTS

SOFI CHECKING AND SAVINGS
Extremely high interest rates if you set up direct deposit. You can create vaults to visually separate the money in your savings. There are some automatic transfer options for money into your vaults. Comes with a checking account in addition to the savings account.

ALLY SAVINGS
Offers competitive interest rates. Lets you set up buckets to visually separate your money within your account.  Has lots of automatic transfer features.  Money transferred out arrives faster than most other accounts.  Great customer service via phone, chat, or email.

WEALTHFRONT
Some of the highest interest rates available.  You can create multiple categories to visually separate your money. There are no automatic transfers into categories. Money transfers out very fast. Individual accounts have some checking options.

MARCUS
Competitive interest rates. A very simple savings account with no extra bells and whistles. Great for money you want to set aside and don't plan to access very often. Usually offers a higher interest rate as a sign on bonus. Takes a few days to access money you transfer out.

CREW
Great for family banking.  You get  debit cards for everyone and can create savings buckets with built in budgeting tools for tracking spending, goals, and healthy finance habits.  High interest rates on everything in the account.

WEALTH MANAGEMENT

EMPOWER
Completely free.  Great for tracking your wealth.  You can link to your bank, credit card, and investment accounts.  t will track your transactions and categorize them for you.  You can see where your money is going and compare to previous months' spending, but is not a budgeting app. It is great for seeing your wealth in one spot.

BOLDIN
Helps you organize your money, plan long-term goals, and make financial decisions with confidence.  You can see where you stand today and where you're headed.  A n approachable planning tool without needing a financial advisor to get clarity.

Free 14 day trial.

PROJECTION LAB
Test different scenarios (like buying a house, retiring early, changing jobs), compare outcomes, and see how your choices today impact net worth over time. It does not link to investments - you manually enter them in.

Free 7 day trial.

CASH BACK APPS

IBOTTA
Great for cash back on groceries. Also works with online shopping {but I prefer Rakuten for that}. You can also link to loyalty accounts so you don't have to upload receipts.

RAKUTEN
Great for earning cash back for online shopping.  Shop through their app on your phone or with 1 click using the browser extension. Always offers a great sign on bonus to new users.

FETCH
Easiest cash back ever. Simply snap a photo of your receipt after you shop and earn points. You can also link your Amazon/Email for receipts. The earnings are slow, but so easy.

SWAGBUCKS
Earn cash by taking surveys, playing games, giving your opinion, online shopping, and uploading receipts.
It's a little overwhelming at first, but you can earn lots.

HOUSEHOLD SAVINGS

TRUST & WILL
You can create your customized will (or trust) for a flat rate.  You can pay extra to get help from a lawyer for your trust.  So much more affordable than hiring a local attorney.

WALLETHUB
Tracks and monitors your credit score, allows you to budget with 5 different budget types, and compares financial products.  the premium version offers identity theft insurance and restoration.

1PASSWORD
Helps you securely store and manage passwords, personal info, and sensitive data in one place across multiple devices. I love it for passwords and important documents (like wills, certificates, etc...).

MINT MOBILE
Save lots of money on your cell phone bill. You pre-pay for your phone plan and get huge discounts by doing so.  You can bring your own phone or buy theirs.  They use the T-Mobile network.