“New year, new me!” fever has hit with 2016, and one of the most common Career Girl resolutions includes getting better with money.
Whether you now have a down payment in your five-year plan or you want to put a dent into your debt, there are a lot of ways you can cut costs in the new year, and our apps will help you along the way!
Spendometer (UK) or Mint (US)
Probably the most important part of cutting down your spending is making a budget. The second part? Following that budget! Get a budgeting app as soon as you can; get into the habit of using it constantly and it will be more difficult to justify abandoning it later. Spendometer and Mint are great, as they will track your spending and help you realize where you can cut down.
Bill Assistant (UK) or BillTracker (US)
Stop missing bill payments with an app that will remind you when bills are due. If you don’t want to download a separate app, set up your virtual calendar to have monthly alerts that will let you know when payments are due.
Vouchercloud (UK) or RetailMeNot (US)
Another great way to save money is to cut down spending on things that you’re buying anyway; a coupon app is a great way to get savings! Hey, you’re on your phone anyway—why not see if you could get a bit of money off?
Google Maps
Stop your Uber habit in its tracks by planning your journey home easily. With Google maps you can save your address for home, work, or friends. Then at the end of the night, it’s as easy as hitting “Home” and following the route! Think of it this way, a $10 Uber once a week is $520 every year. How much closer would you be to your goals?
Yplan or Dojo (UK only)
An important part of keeping resolutions is not feeling like it’s making you lose out on other exciting things. These apps will help you find tickets to events very cheaply. In the United States, these apps can vary by state, so do your research; they’re a great way to explore the city without spending a lot!
Headspace
This meditating app might seem out of place on a list about saving money. But taking time at the beginning or end of each day to re-align your thoughts is so important when it comes to meeting long term goals. Give yourself the space to be at peace, and your focus on your goals will naturally become clearer.
Your Bank’s Mobile App
Many banks now offer apps that can help you with mobile banking. Download yours and set up your account (some of them are trickier than others and require authorization, so do it ahead and you won’t get stuck without access when you need it!). At the very least it will let you check your balance so that you don’t go into debt, but some apps will let you send money to friends, change accounts, or pay bills on your phone.