These days it seems like apps can do practically anything. If you’ve been wondering why someone can’t invent an app to turn your financial situation around, well, there’s an app for that too — several of them, in fact. Here are a few nifty little programs that can help you mind your money:
Intuit Quicken – Sometimes the old standards still get the job done. Quicken has helped countless individuals track, manage and report their finances for many years, and the 2014 Mobile and Tablet App lets you take this powerful show on the road. Enter receipts and expenditures on the fly from your mobile device, then synch that information painlessly with your home or office PC.
Mint – Unlike some personal finance software, Mint doesn’t allow you (or anyone else, thankfully) to move your money from one account to another; the company describes its flagship app as a “read-only service.” Instead, Mint focuses on helping you organize the money you have and showing you that organization in the form of clear, helpful charts and graphs. Set up specific savings or payment goals and then follow their progress, create a budget based on your spending history, track investments, or let Mint auto-categorize your expenses. Mobile versions are available for Windows, iOS and Android devices.
DailyCost – If you don’t need the full-featured flexibility of Quicken or Mint — just a quick and easy way to input expenses — consider DailyCost. This simple app, currently an Apple exclusive, lets you record those purchases or payments into your iPhone or iPad while providing easy-to-read categorized charts and lists that automatically adjust from landscape to portrait view and vice versa. The minimalist design and gesture-sensitive controls enable you to create and record a new item in just three seconds, giving you that much more time to shop till you drop.
Gas Buddy – Do you experience needless difficulty in sticking to your gas budget because the prices vary so unpredictably from pump to pump? When you’re carrying Gas Buddy on your Android, Blackberry or Apple device, you can put that problem in your rear-view mirror for good. This handy app communicates directly with its big brother, the full-featured Gas Buddy website, to show you the latest reported gas prices at every station in your immediate area. You need never bust your gas bill again!
Manilla – Imagine the ease and efficiency of managing all your accounts, from credit cards to bank accounts, through a single portal using a single login. If that sounds good to you, then so will Manilla. This powerful service delivers all your bills to you automatically, reminds you of upcoming payments, and generally makes it a lot easier to control your personal finances. Try the mobile app version on your iPhone or Android device so you can always know exactly what’s due and when, no matter where you may be.
Toshl Finance – While this app for iPhone, Android, Symbian and Windows Phone 7 devices performs many of the same tasks you’d expect from a well-rounded personal finance app, its true forte is mobile expense reporting and tracking for the busy professional on the go. If your work takes you to the four corners of the world, take Toshl Finance with you so you can make entries into a separate travel budget. It works with many of the leading global currencies, so set course for distant locales while still managing your money the smart way!
You can doubtless find many more apps where these came from. For now, though, give these a whirl — one of them just might be your key to a happier financial future!
AUTHOR BIO:
William Reynolds has worked as a freelance copywriter since 1997. William has provided content for Mint.com and numerous other professional sites.
(Images courtesy of Salvatore Vuono and Idea go /FreeDigitalPhotos.net)