[USER]

Are there any apps to at help show you what you spend money on? I have tried to budget using excel but I still end up going over each month.

I don’t have the time to sit down and see every transaction I have so I can make changes.

Or is there a person who does this in the finance industry?

[Annette]

Are you looking for software that adds all your expenses into categories so you can then trim down that category?

If so, look for budgeting apps or software.

Or are you looking for something else?

[Darla]

I have used Excel/Lotus for 31 years, but for 2025 I’m also going to use Quicken.
I’m waiting on my new computer to arrive first.

You can go to YouTube and watch reviews of programs. That is what helped me decide.

Quicken has different levels:
Quicken Simplifi is geared to app based users.

Mobile user-focused.
Quicken Classic Premier is more laborious, but that’s what I need for retirement and investment goals. This is best used with a PC/Laptop not a mobile device.

YNAB (You Need A Budget) is used by many Dave Ramsey followers. YouTube content creators review this as good, but time consuming to set up.

Many DR groups that I’m in highly recommend it.

If I start a home based business in retirement, I may upgrade my Quicken version or I may use Quickbooks.

TBD. I’ve used this professionally and it’s overkill for what I need.

Monarch Money is reviewed very well but I don’t know enough about it to have an opinion.

Mint was a good budget product but is no longer offered.
Hope this helps.

[Marissa]

Copilot. There is a yearly fee, but I happily pay it. It pulls all the transactions for any account you authorize it to have access to.

You can set it so it automatically categorizes everything for you, and it will break it down into any category you’d like.

The fee is well worth it to save me the time from having to do it manually.

It’s also allowed me to reign in my spending because I see where I’m spending more than I’d prefer to.

Will never go without it.

[Carlz]

If you want to stick to a budget without logging and tracking every transaction you could try switching to cash and the envelope system.

You withdraw the specific amount set for each budget item and keep it in a seperate envelope; one for groceries, one for gas, one for eating out, one for kids stuff etc.

Only pay for these things in cash and only from the envelope for that category.

No more cash in the envelope ➡️ No more spending
Not enough cash in the envelope to pay your purchase ➡️ Put something back.

[Karen]

I have used Every Dollar in the past and it was very effective.

[Author]

Posts