↵

Ask DN: Best app for money management?

almost 9 years ago from Ari Sawyers

  • Brennan Smith, almost 9 years ago

    Likewise, its not an automated process like the other apps (Mint). It actually makes you really think about where your money is going.

    4 points
    • Miguel Solorio, almost 9 years ago

      I found that while using Mint, my spending habits didn't change at all. And while I spend money today, they may not show up in my Mint account until the next day or two. I love that YNAB forces you to pay attention to what you are inserting into your spending accounts and puts you in charge of your finances. For me this has been the most effective tool that's changed how I spend my money.

      4 points
      • Joe BarberJoe Barber, almost 9 years ago

        I couldn't agree more. YNAB is probably the best value app I've ever bought. Well, next to Sketch I guess.

        I can't wait for their new iPad app.

        1 point
    • Bart Claeys, almost 9 years ago

      I would rather spend my time analyzing charts than manually entering transactions. Maybe works if you don't have many transactions. Plus because you very likely miss a lot of transactions (bank fees, international transaction fees, auto-charges), the conclusions this app is drawing cannot be 100% accurate.

      0 points
      • Brennan Smith, almost 9 years ago

        This is where rule 3 comes into play with their method. http://www.youneedabudget.com/method/rule-three

        2 points
      • Joe BarberJoe Barber, almost 9 years ago

        Firstly, how much time do you really spend analyzing those charts??

        Secondly, with YNAB you reconcile with your bank account every month (I do it every two weeks) to ensure it's staying accurate. I have a SHIT TON of transactions, and nothing has ever helped me as much as YNAB. The bottom line is really that managing your money well takes work. By inputing a transaction every time I buy something, I'm keeping my budget at the forefront of my mind instead of just spending until I get a warning from my app that I've overspent (or almost over spent). Is it slightly annoying to reconcile every two weeks? Yes. But that ~1 hour every two weeks is well worth the confidence I've gained in always knowing exactly how much money I have and what it's being used for.

        1 point