Maintaining a budget is probably one of the hardest things about money and finances in general. It’s easy to plan and talk about it but sticking to it is just a plain challenge. One good habit to develop is knowing how much money comes in and comes out of your hands and this is easier with good budgeting apps that’ll keep track of your expenses for you. 

How to Choose a Budgeting App

Choosing a budgeting app seems like a small problem to deal with compared to other financial decisions you are currently going through but the right budgeting app will be able to change the course of your budgeting, spending, and savings. 

Before fully committing yourself to a budgeting app you found online or referred to, make sure to consider your needs and goals. First, identify your financial goals so you’ll be able to narrow down the list of apps you want to try. 

The app you’ll eventually choose should be able to provide insights and data on your expenses and savings. 

Here are some features to consider before committing to a budgeting app. 

Fees. Some budgeting apps are free or have free versions while others charge a monthly fee. Free apps can be tempting and some of them do the job. But if a budgeting app has significantly helped you improve your finances then paying for one is not so bad. 

Features. Each app has different and unique features and benefits. It might take some time for you to test each one and see which is the best app for you. Your budgeting app should at least include: 

• Connecting all your financial accounts
• Notifications of upcoming bill payments
• Designing budget
• Credit score tracking
• Spending tracker
• Setting up financial goals

Security. Your personal and financial information is extremely important and most budgeting app does have a strong level of security but some good ones have more complex and sophisticated security. Make sure that the budgeting app you are planning to commit to has solid and trusted security, like 256-bit encryption and multi-factor authentication. 

Customer Service. You are encoding money matters, as well as personal and financial information, so aside from security, make sure that the budgeting app has a reliable technical team and customer service you can reach out to in case you are having troubles. It also helps if you read reviews from other users and their experiences with the app. 

The Best Budgeting Apps of 2022

Trying to form a habit is difficult but with the right support, techniques, and tools, it becomes doable! Keeping track of your expenses and sticking to a budget becomes easier with budgeting apps that provide just the feature you need! 

In this article, we’ve listed down the best budgeting apps of 2022 that’ll surely keep your expenses in check. 

You Need A Budget (YNAB)

YNAB allows you to sync your bank accounts, import data from a file, or manually input each transaction. What we appreciate about this budgeting app is that the company offers to teach the basics through video courses, a live workshop, or reading through a guide. It also offers a proactive budgeting approach instead of just being a regular tracker wherein you track what you’ve already spent. 

YNAB puts its users’ privacy and security as its top priority and protects your personal information by using bank-level encryption, extreme password security, and third-party audits. 

Mint

Mint is a free budgeting app and is a great choice if you are looking to improve your spending tendencies. The app allows you to sync your financial accounts or manually add each transaction. You’ll also be able to see all your accounts in one place and keep track of your daily spending. Mint automatically organizes your spending so all totals by category can be seen at a glance. The app has monthly bill tracking and payment reminders, as well as educational resources like a home affordability calculator, loan repayment calculator, and a blog with helpful finance topics. 

Mint’s protection feature security scanning with Verisign, multi-factor authentication, and touch ID mobile access. Rest assured that your information is safe as Mint stores login information in a separate database, buried under multiple layers of hardware and software encryption. 

PocketGuard

If you are an overspender and often find yourself spilling over your monthly budget, PocketGuard is the budgeting app for you! It consists of features that are meant to help users control their overspending habits. 

To start, you need to connect your checking, savings, and credit card accounts. The app will be able to see what you are spending on, where to save, and even remind your credit card dues. PocketGuard’s algorithm analyzes how much money you can spend based on your income, upcoming bills, goals, and recent spending. 

Other smart features of the app are bill reminders where you’ll be able to keep track of due dates and the automated savings feature, where you put in a goal and PocketGuard automatically moves the money to a savings account without you moving an inch. 

PocketGuard security is 256-bit encryption, a four-digit PIN, and biometrics like Touch ID and Face ID as an additional layer of protection. 

Zeta

Zeta is an excellent budgeting app that caters to couples. The Zeta Money Manager app allows you to sync accounts or manually add data and transactions for a shared view, as well as spending tracker, net worth, and bill management. 

Other outstanding features are sharing controls, shared and personal budgets, bill reminders, and a lot more. The app helps couples stay focused on their goals, connect their financial actions, and boost financial knowledge. 

The Zeta Joint Cards have bank account access with FDIC insurance through LendingClub Bank, which has no monthly fees or minimums, and 0.10% APY. This account has special features like unlimited transfers, contactless payments, and bill pay. 

ZETA uses top-notch bank-level security. The app doesn’t store your financial logins and uses two-factor authentication and data encrypted databases.