5 mobile apps to help you save money now

Whether you’re saving for a rainy day, or trying to pay off a debt, everyone could use a little help budgeting their finances. Here are five mobile phone apps you can download in Ireland now to help you save more money.

1. YNAB (You Need a Budget)

Available to download for Android and iOS for free

YNAB, or You Need a Budget claims to teach you how to manage your money and get out of debt forevermore. The idea is to connect all of your accounts in one place and avail of real-time access. There are five features. Budget Together, which is access to real-time information, from any device, anytime, making it simple to share finances with a partner. Goal Tracking, to help you set and reach your goals and then set new, bigger goals. Reports, which are graphs and charts so you can track your progress. Personal Support, where you can send an email or check out one of the 100-plus free, live, online workshops the app offers every week. And finally, Secure Data, the app claims security is its number-one priority.

2. Splitwise

Available to download for Android and iOS for free

This app helps you keep track of shared bills and expenses. Ideal for anyone in a house share with bills split between three or more people. The app keeps a record of who has paid their share of a bill, and who has not. There is a subscription-based version called Splitwise Pro, which has additional features such as receipt scanning and increased cloud storage.

3. Revolut

Available to download for Android and iOS for free

Revolut is the online banking with zero charges. It works exactly like a bank, you can get your wages paid into it, you get a debit card, and you can use the app to transfer money to your friends who also have the app and from your bank account free of charge and instantaneously. In the Vaults feature, you can pocket your loose change and watch it build up so you can withdraw from it when it gets to a decent amount. If you use your Revolut card in an atm you will get charged regular bank charges, however tapping the card in a retail environment is no extra charge.

4. Bullet Receipts

Available to download for Android and iOS for free

Let the Bullet app keep track of all of your receipts for you by simply scanning and logging your paper receipt. As well as cutting down on the clutter of paper receipts, this is an easy way to record your work expenses

5. Envelopes

Available to download for Android and iOS for €3.49

Never be caught off guard again by putting your income into ‘envelopes’. The cash for each month’s expenses is taken out and divided into envelopes for each budget category. Like groceries, eating out, debt payoff, and kids. The idea is to take money out of a designated envelope to spend, by the end of the month you should have spent less and have tracked every cent you have spent.

Photography by Unsplash.