TawnyaHere’s what you need to know about using budgeting apps.
They are too automated.
Budgeting apps do too much of the work for you, which I tend to think keeps us lazy and not as intentional as we should be.
Being hands-on and manually doing the work is soooo freaking important when it comes to getting your finances on track.
I use a spreadsheet. Always have. Probably always will.
My spreadsheet (which by the way you can download for free in my Bio or at themoneylifecoach.com) has formulas added to it so you don’t manually add and subtract EVERYTHING, but when you spend money and bills are paid out of your bank, you manually track in the sheet.
It’s the only way you have complete awareness as to how much you’re spending and what’s left in each category every month.
Budgeting apps do too much of the work for you and often categorize things in a weird way where you question what the charge is.
Also, the number one reason I do not like them is because when something is pending out in the cloud between the time you purchase, when the money comes out of your bank and the time it shows up in the app, there is often a delay.
You will likely think you have more money than you do because it’s not cleared your account yet or showed up in the app. It can be very misleading and make it more frustrating and easier to mess up your budget.
I create a new budget every month using my spreadsheet (link in bio) and adjust and track every few days to see what’s pending/cleared in my account and to reconcile.
Take out the extra step of using an app, and if you still have trouble with using a sheet, take it back OLD SCHOOL, and write it down on a piece of paper, or use a bank transaction record.
Get started with your free budget worksheet here: themoneylifecoach.com.
Happy budgeting!
