We are getting our finances in order with our favorite apps and tools! Wait, is that a yawn I see. Today we are going to convince you that it can be fun and rewarding to get your finances organized.
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Inbox Update
In Episode 35, Bethany led us through a 5 step process to clear our paper piles. If you missed it, you can still download Bethany’s 5 step process plus a paper bundle which includes file categories to print out and follow along at home! Ready to join? Snap a pic of your inbox as it is and tag #atobpodcast.
In the episode I mentioned my Action Files. I go into more detail about how I use them to keep my countersclear of paper piles in Episode 28, Stopping Paper Clutter, I also share a few of my favorite organizing supplies to create your own Action Files.
I have been waiting to talk about finances forever! I am a little nerdy when it comes to finances. It is one of my favorite things to talk about and organize!
Bethany and I both follow the Dave Ramsey plan. For me, I believe it change the direction of my life. I even wrote a book review of Total Money Makeover a year after I read it 8 years ago!
My husband and I were living pretty normally, money came in and money went out and we made sure the account doesn’t fall below a certain number. That was pretty much it. The Total Money Makeover book forced us to actually look up and talk about what we were working towards and showed us how to get on the same page and how to be intional with our money and actually tell it where to go instead of not knowing where it all went.
That is why I am such a huge fan of budgeting. I know people get turned off by the word “budget.” It sounds restrictive but a budget can be really freeing.
My husband and I decide ahead of time what we are going to spend in category. There is no coming home for the store and hiding what you purchased because money was already set aside for that purpose. There is no small money fights about who spent what. It is all planned out ahead of time. This article gives even more reasons, 5 Reasons Why Budgeting is Right for You.
5 Apps to Organize your Finances
1. Mint- Free
I have been using mint for almost 10 years. They have a budgeting feature but I mainly use Mint as a search engine. For instances, when doing taxes, I was able to cross reference my donation totals and my biz expense totals to make sure I wasn’t missing any transactions.
I’ve also used it to find when I last had an auto repair done. I have the receipt, but it so easy to search on Mint and that is what I love it for.
I’m not a fan of the budget application on Mint. After learning about a zero-based budgets, the budgeting feature feels like you are trying to plan out your budget after you have already spent the money.
2. YNAB (You Need a Budget)- $6.99/month
I’ve heard all the buzz about “You need a budget” for years. I have even tried their 30 days free trial twice but I just can’t get on board. I keeping thinking that I should love it because spreadsheets are my thing, but it always felt overly complicated.
YNAB does have a lot of great resources on their website, including one we mention about aging your money, which basically means using last month’s paycheck to pay for this month’s expenses.
If you are a YNAB user, I’d love to hear what you like about it! I still feel like I’m missing something on this one.
3. Everydollar- free (or $7/month to connect to accounts)
Everydollar is really easy to use! It makes the Zero-Based Budgeting system really easy to use. I like it almost better than the one I use but mine is only $4/month.
4. Mvelopes- $4/month
Mvelopes was free until about 6 months ago. When they started charging $4 a month, I almost canceled because the desktop version can be “buggy” and to me it’s not quite worth the $4/month price tag yet. However, they are making improvements and I’ve decided that paying $4 a month is worth having my accounts connected (as oppose to the free version of Everydollar).
The app is better than the desktop version but I do love the extra budgeting features on the desktop which is why I tolerated the outdated interface. So I use the app on my phone to label my transactions which puts them in the “envelopes” they belong in and I use the desktop version to plan out my budget for the month.
5. Google Drive Sheets- free
I am honestly a little surprised that I have become a fan of spreadsheets but they can be such a motivation booster when you are working towards a goal!
What financial goals are you working towards? Paying off debit, saving for a car, paying off your house!
Create a spreadsheet to record your progress. Use paper if you prefer or even create a thermometer to track your progress. When you actually track it, it makes it so much easier to stay on track when you want to make those impulse purchases.
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