Budgets are beneficial when you are trying to save, and live within your means, cut back on reckless spending habits, and generally get your financial life in order. And if you are someone with these goals but you have trouble creating a budget and then sticking to it…fear not because you are like the majority of the human population. The good news for the budget-impaired is that thanks to the technology provided to us in this day in age, there are budgeting websites across the internet that have made your financial goals all the more attainable. For example, discount and coupon websites like Raise are available to help you save the most money that you can when shopping. There are also many accounting apps and websites that help to do this. Check out our top picks:
Mint.com: One of the top contenders for best budgeting site out there is Mint.com. This web-based financial management site is a favorite due to its user-friendly features and automation of your data. You simply provide Mint.com with your login information to your various accounts (checking, savings, credit cards, etc.) and from your data the site will create budgets and forecasts for you. With Mint.com you can easily see all of your money in one place and where it is going—and the best part? It’s free!
Yodlee.com: Yodlee is very similar to Mint but focuses more on providing its users a raw and much more in-depth analysis of their data and can pull it from thousands of financial establishments. Yodlee is home to many users because of the platform it offers for control, security and convenience. Not only can you take charge of your financial outlook by creating a budget, but you Yodlee also lets you track your spending, pay your bills, transfer funds and review all of your finances in one convenient, easy to navigate, free-of-charge place.
Buxfer.com: Another site that automatically compiles all of your accounts into one place where you can easily and safely view your money is Buxfer.com. Now, many people hesitate to sync all of their financial accounts to one site for security concerns; but a great thing about Buxfer is that it allows you be in complete control by offering several different methods for inputting and storing your data. Use the Basic Buxfer.com for free or register for an upgraded experience with Plus ($2.79/month) or Pro ($3.79/month).
ClearCheckbook.com: By using this service, you will gain access to a web-based checking account where you can manage your money by tracking what you’re spending, creating a list of your daily expenses and composing a budget that has set limits so that sticking to it will be a breeze. Use the basic edition for free, but if you want more features like custom reports and future balance projections, then sign up for the premium ClearCheckbook for only $4/month.
Mvelopes.com: If you like the old-fashioned way of budgeting where each category in your budget gets an envelope with a certain amount of money, then Mvelopes.com is a much more modern take on the concept and would surely be a fit for you. Helping you live within your income, this online budgeting service retrieves data from your various financial accounts, allows you to automatically pay your bills, has the tools to help you eliminate debt and will generate snapshots of your financial makeup as you tailor your budget to achieve your financial goals. And with mobile access, how can you go wrong? Pricier compared to others on our list but well worth the investment, Mvelopes.com charges its users $39.60/quarter.
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Erica St. Claire is a guest post author who shares with us the top picks for budgeting sites on the web. In addition, Erica also contributes to Free Dating Sites where she offers singles information about safe online dating.