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You are here: Home / Archives for spending tracker

spending tracker

Be Successful with 12 Ways to Make Budgeting Easy

December 26, 2018 By Joni Kinney Leave a Comment

To many people just saying the word Budget makes them cringe. It’s like Budget is like an offensive word, and it reminds me of cleaning. You know you need to do it, you probably have a general sense of even how to do it, yet you don’t want to. In this article, we are going to break down how you can make budgeting easy.

There are many advantages to budgeting. If you want to learn more about some of those pros check out our article 5 budget advantages to make you successful. To try and help make things easier for you we’ve created some FREE resources just for you! We really hope you enjoy our Free Budget and Expense Tracking printables.

How to make budgeting easy

  1. Consistency – This is probably the most important tip I can give you. However, being consistent will help you stick to your budget. As soon as you start to make excuses, you will give up on yourself. Don’t do that!
  2. Use an App – We put together an article about five apps that you can download to help you with your budget. Which one do you think would help you the most?
  3. Track Categories – I found that if I tracked every dollar I spent, I drove myself crazy. So instead I gave myself a category for misc items such as that random candy bar I needed at work. This way I could put money into that category without having to write down every cent used. However, some categories you need to track every line item. Use what works for you!
  4. Forgive yourself – You are going to make mistakes. Additionally, you are going to forget to write down something. However, don’t beat yourself up, correct it and move on.
  5. Be accountable – Some people will not follow through if they are the only ones who know what they are doing. Tell someone, make them ask you how you are doing. It’s harder to quit if someone is asking you about your progress.
  6. Understand your goal – If you haven’t picked out a reason for budgeting, you should do that now. If you take our Monthly Budget Blastoff course, you will get some great tips on how to set financial goals.
  7. Do what works for you – Just because a plan works for someone else doesn’t mean it’s right for you. Read and research, but ultimately you have to determine how to make your budget yours.
  8. Gets others on board – Parents, kids, significant others can dramatically impact your success. However, those who can influence you should be on board with your plan, or at least supportive of what you are doing.
  9. Reward yourself – As you achieve success with your budget find a small reward you can enjoy. In other words, your reward might be an afternoon alone. It’s way more motivating to work towards something that has some reward. Ask yourself, what is rewarding to you? How can you make that fit into your budget goals?
  10. Do NOT give up – We all get frustrated. We all want to give up. We are all cheering for you to not be like those who fail. Start and finish your budget each month, celebrate milestones, and don’t give up.
  11. Schedule Time – Everyday you need to schedule a time to update your budget. Either pay bills, update what you spent or plan out our next budget. No matter what you do, get in the habit of investing some time each day to your budget.
  12. Be Productive – Being busy and being productive are not the same. Above all, don’t over think things. Don’t get wrapped up in making your spreadsheet pretty or your budget perfect looking. Just get it down on paper so you can adjust, learn and fulfill your goals.

Monthly Budget Blastoff

Click to get our Monthly Budget Blastoff course! #budget #monthlybudget #personalfinance #finances

As mentioned earlier in the article we have a course we call our Monthly Budget Blastoff that can help you with your budget needs. This course is great for helping you determine how to make budgeting easy, helping you set goals, and you can then figure out the basics of budgets. Additionally, you get a free budget spreadsheet! Check it out now!

Filed Under: Money Saving Tips Tagged With: budget, easy, fun, plan, simple, spending tracker, why budget

The 5 Best Budget App (s) to Make Your Life Easier

September 27, 2018 By Joni Kinney 1 Comment

There are many apps available to us, so it doesn’t surprise me to see so many budget apps out there. Most budget apps track spending and expenses. Some of the more sophisticated apps allow for you to set a budget in addition to monitoring those expenses.  Here are our recommendations for the five best budget apps that will help make your life easier. The best part is that all of these apps are FREE! Best Budget App

Mint

Mint is a free money management tool that allows you to track spending and expenses all at once. The current version features Mintsights which can show you money-saving insights based on your financial information.  This app also features the ability to track your credit score and keep track of your bills. Altogether a pretty easy app to use.

best budget app

GoodBudget

GoodBudget is an excellent choice for a personal budget app that based on the Envelope Budget System. This app can help you with budgets and many aspects of money management. It’s easy to sync allowing you and others to share data – such as a spouse. There are some interesting built-in reports to help you analyze your spending as well.

best budget app

Clarity Money

This app is all about helping you make smarter more educated decisions on your money. Helping you track your spending and expenses as well as your credit score and monitoring your accounts. Other cool features include finding monthly subscriptions and tracking by category.

best budget app www.kinneychaos.com

Spending Tracker

Spending Tracker is an easy to use app that allows you to track spending and expenses. Easy to navigate time periods, picking between weekly, monthly or yearly views. There is a budget mode allowing you to set budget amounts and carryover balances to the next period.

best budget app

YNAB – Best Budget App

YNAB (You Need A Budget) is probably my favorite of all the apps I downloaded. Tons of features including syncing to your bank accounts with real-time access to your information. Tools to help you pay down debt including goal tracking. Some fun and pretty detailed reporting options that help you measure your progress.

 

Which app is best for you depends on your preferences. I liked Mint’s simplicity and the options in YNAB, but in all honesty, I could use any of these and feel like a rockstar. Budgeting and understanding your money is the key to financial freedom! Get yours today, also check out 15 Tips on How to Save Money to help you get started on your financial journey!

Filed Under: Money Saving Tips Tagged With: budget, clarity money, goals, goodbudget, mint, money savings tips, saving money, setting goals, spending tracker, ynab

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