Do you have a favorite budgeting app

[scbelleatheart]

For your Ipad or Iphone ? DH cannot find one he likes. Right now he's just using a spread sheet to record expenses because we have never had a budget. He wants to know how much we need to live on if we both quit working.
Any suggestions? TIA!

 

[BeachLove]

You want something to help you plan for retirement? Or just you're both deciding to quit jobs at the same time?

If both of you just want to up and quit working its going to be hard no matter how many budgeting tools you use. I think a spreadsheet on the computer is best. I haven't found any free or paid apps I like. I used a spreadsheet to figure out how much I needed to save up if I planed on taking a year off from "life". It was eye-opening to say the least and If I do plan something like that, it would be 6 months off.

 

[scbelleatheart]

No, not to see how much we have to save for retirement. We are no where close to that. Just how to set a budget and go from there.
Like food, groceries, gas, ect. to plug in numbers vs. what we now spend.
We buy groceries, we pay on our kid's student loans, we pay gas and insurance on 2 kids still in college.
I thought this was a simple question.
DH just decided he would like to know how much we really spent each month.
It could be an eye opener!

 

[edk35]

No, not to see how much we have to save for retirement. We are no where close to that. Just how to set a budget and go from there.
Like food, groceries, gas, ect. to plug in numbers vs. what we now spend.
We buy groceries, we pay on our kid's student loans, we pay gas and insurance on 2 kids still in college.
I thought this was a simple question.
DH just decided he would like to know how much we really spent each month.
It could be an eye opener!

I think it was the way your presented your question in your post. It was unclear as to what you were asking. You said: IF we both quit work? You didn't say what expenses you were looking to budget for in the op like you did in your 2nd post.

 

[scbelleatheart]

You want something to help you plan for retirement? Or just you're both deciding to quit jobs at the same time?

If both of you just want to up and quit working its going to be hard no matter how many budgeting tools you use. I think a spreadsheet on the computer is best. I haven't found any free or paid apps I like. I used a spreadsheet to figure out how much I needed to save up if I planed on taking a year off from "life". It was eye-opening to say the least and If I do plan something like that, it would be 6 months off.

To clarify, we own a small corporation. Thinking about selling it. We own everything and owe nothing. All the buildings and property are paid for as is our home and all vehicles. We owe nothing to anyone.
Quit "our jobs" would be selling our business and property".
Sorry you misunderstood, we own a a very good business but I worry about my DH stress over it.

 

[worm761]

I like EEBA. They have a website to use along with the app. And the first 10 envelops are free!

As for paid, DH likes MoneyWise but I find it confusing. I am glad he likes it though.

 

[mrodgers]

For budgeting I use Excel. There isn't any budgeting software that can be as customizable as Excel. My budget spreadsheet is very elaborate with conditional formatting, auto calculations, etc. I can see exactly which paycheck needs to pay a bill (paid weekly between the 2 of us), it flags the balance amount if I am below a level I set in a particular category (example, I have $600 at all times for heating oil and when I pay out of that category and am below the $600 amount, the balance amount shows red.)

I looked at various apps and programs and I do a lot more and simpler with Excel.

 

[suprgrlx]

I like EEBA. They have a website to use along with the app. And the first 10 envelops are free!

I use this and really like it too. It works on apple products and android as well as being able to use it online. I really like that DH and I can each have it on our phones and it syncs.

This is mostly to keep track of spending once you allocate an amount though. To do up our initial budget I used Gail Vaz-Oxlade's budget tool.

http://www.gailvazoxlade.com/resources/interactive_budget_worksheet.html

At the bottom you can download an Excel version. The "jar money" that they calculate at the bottom right is the numbers I use in the EEBA software.

 

[SueInBoston]

If you want to add up what you really spend...try Quicken (but it's not for phone or tablet). I use it to keep track of spending and IT IS an eye opener. We use CC for everything and download transactions.

 

[Sadie22]

If you want to add up what you really spend...try Quicken (but it's not for phone or tablet). I use it to keep track of spending and IT IS an eye opener. We use CC for everything and download transactions.

Quicken 2013 syncs with computer, tablet, and smartphone.

 

[tzolkin]

Not sure if this is the type of thing you're looking for but we use mint.com

I used to use Quicken and find it similar, but it's much more convenient.


Transactions are automatically added from your bank, CCs, loans, investments, etc. You categorize each item and then you can track exactly how much you spend on each category.

You can also set up monthly budgets for whatever you like (groceries, bills, car, dining out, etc). Each one appears as a bar that fills in with each dollar you spend. It also emails you weekly updates tracking your spending.

DH was never involved in our finances before, but he really loves using the mint app because it lets him know exactly what we have and what we are spending. Having the app on his ipod is really convenient, but I usually use the computer to access everything.

 

[ZiPaD3doDAH]

I use the iphone app AceBudget.

I think the cost is $1.99 but very much worth it!

I have been using it for years. I think there is a free trial version of it

 

[RitaE]

For budgeting like "How much more can I spend on Groceries this month and what is the average of our Utilities for the past 3 months ....." I use YNAB (You Need a Budget.

It syncs with our computers and phones, so we can see how we're doing up tot he minute if we head out shopping.

It doesn't do much for tracking investments or any of that sort of thing but for keeping control of month to month spending I like it better than anything else I've ever tried.

 

[Srbright]

We use mint and its awesome. You put in your information and it tells you how much in each category you have left to spend/pay each month.

Stacy

 

[ski_mom]

We use mint and its awesome. You put in your information and it tells you how much in each category you have left to spend/pay each month.

Stacy

I've also been using Mint because I love how it tracks investments as well as credit cards, bank accts, etc.

What I wish I could find on it though is a way to put our money into "buckets" from our paychecks. Do you know if there is a way to do that?

I'd love to be able to say that this check contains $200 for vacation fund, $500 for house payment, $100 for eating out, etc. But I haven't been able to find out a way to do that.

Is it possible? Or am I just thinking about it all wrong!

 

[tzolkin]

I've also been using Mint because I love how it tracks investments as well as credit cards, bank accts, etc.

What I wish I could find on it though is a way to put our money into "buckets" from our paychecks. Do you know if there is a way to do that?

I'd love to be able to say that this check contains $200 for vacation fund, $500 for house payment, $100 for eating out, etc. But I haven't been able to find out a way to do that.

Is it possible? Or am I just thinking about it all wrong!

I don't believe there is anything like that on mint.

You could think about it over the course of the month rather than for a specific paycheck. Then you could just set up budgets for those categories. For that month it will tell you what your total income was and then you could see which budgets that income went toward. Ex. $500 house payment, $200 vacation fund, $100 dining, and the rest left over for other expenses.

For something like the vacation fund you could set up a goal and add $200 to it each paycheck. Goals are nice because they fill in, so you can watch it grow until you reach the amount you set.

 

[ski_mom]

I don't believe there is anything like that on mint.

You could think about it over the course of the month rather than for a specific paycheck. Then you could just set up budgets for those categories. For that month it will tell you what your total income was and then you could see which budgets that income went toward. Ex. $500 house payment, $200 vacation fund, $100 dining, and the rest left over for other expenses.

For something like the vacation fund you could set up a goal and add $200 to it each paycheck. Goals are nice because they fill in, so you can watch it grow until you reach the amount you set.

Thanks! I'll have to experiment with that a little. We basically have a few categories set up that we put money into each month and they take from them a few times a year - vacation, property taxes, auto and home insurance, etc.

The goals area might just work! Thanks for the suggestion!

 

[richkaryn]

we use mint dot com website and app. Love it!

 

[Tinkerbellie16]

I have tried to use apps but my spreadsheet has proved the best - for over 10 years! I think the reason it works so well is that I must track all expenses (and income) daily. So I HATE spending money because I have to update my spreadsheet Just my thoughts.

 

[lajones81]

For your Ipad or Iphone ? DH cannot find one he likes. Right now he's just using a spread sheet to record expenses because we have never had a budget. He wants to know how much we need to live on if we both quit working.
Any suggestions? TIA!

https://www.mint.com/