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So to help you cut through the noise, I wanted to share the 10 money apps and tools that I personally use alllll the time:
Of course, financial advice and money tools aren't one-size-fits-all. The things that work just right for me might seem not-so-right for you. Always do your research, and choose a tool that makes sense for your budget and goals.
1. Mint
@mintapp / Via instagram.com
One of the first things I do every morning is open the Mint app and take a look at how I'm doing on my money goals. It's connected to my checking, savings, credit, and investment accounts so I can see all my balances in one place, which is so much more convenient than logging into five or six different websites. Plus it automatically tracks my spending and sends me notifications when I'm getting close to going over budget.I used to track my income and expenses by hand, but since I started using Mint I haven't looked back.
Where you can get it: Apple App Store or Google Play
How much it costs: Free
2. Yotta
Yotta / Via withyotta.com
Yotta is a savings account where the more you save, the more chances you have to win prizes like a new Tesla or $10 million. For every $25 you deposit, you get another ticket for their weekly lottery, and a number is drawn every day. So far in July, I've earned 6.65% back on my savings, which is absolutely huge compared to the average savings account (a measly 0.05%).In addition to prizes, you also earn a guaranteed 0.2% interest. My biggest prize so far was about $10, and the smallest was 15 cents, but knowing that I could get lucky and win big keeps me in the game.
Plus, my winnings go right into my account, which adds up to more tickets. It really motivates me to save more money, and I love knowing that my emergency fund is working harder for me here than in a traditional bank. If this is sounding too good to be true and you have questions about how it works, check out this great AMA with Yotta co-founder Adam Moelis. It's legit.
Where you can get it: Apple App Store or Google Play
How much it costs: Free
3. Drop
@joindrop / Via instagram.com
I'm big on earning rewards and finding ways to make my dollars go a little further, so I love shopping with Drop. Drop is a rewards app that's partnered with a bunch of brands that I shop from often, like Target and Trader Joe's, and it gives me points for shopping with them. I can also earn points by playing fun games on my phone or taking quick surveys. Then, I can redeem my points for gift cards with those same brands I'm already shopping with. For me, it's a no-brainer.
Where you can get it: Sign up for an account on their website
How much it costs: Free
4. Slide
@slide / Via instagram.com
Slide is a cashback app that offers 4% cash back instantly when you use it to shop with partnered brands like GrubHub, Ulta, and Dunkin'. You can either shop right through the app or use the app to buy gift cards for the brand you want to shop from in store or online. Once your cash back hits $15, you can withdraw it using Venmo or PayPal. I like to save up my rewards and then stash them in my savings or invest them like a little gift to future-me, but you can also apply your cashback balance to new purchases like an instant discount. To take my rewards to the next level, I use my cashback credit cardas my Slide payment method, which gives me another 3% back from my credit card company. This means that every time I use Slide, I'm actually getting 7% cash back. I love to see it.
Where you can get it: Apple App Store or Google Play
How much it costs: Free
5. Experian
Experian / Via experian.com
Experian is one of the three credit bureaus in the US that compiles consumer information into our credit reports. And they're the only credit bureau that actually lets you see your FICO credit score for free. If you're in the US, your FICO score is the one that gets pulled for most lending decisions, so it's kind of a big deal. I get emails from Experian when there are changes on my credit report with them, and they also offer a service called Boost where you can report your utility bills and streaming subscriptions to pump up your scores. I reviewed Boost recently if you're curious and want to learn more.
Where you can get it: Sign up for an account on their website
How much it costs: Free to start, but you can upgrade for more features
6. Credit Karma
Credit Karma / Via creditkarma.com
To keep tabs on my other two credit reports with Equifax and TransUnion, I like to use Credit Karma. Like Experian, Credit Karma notifies me when new info gets added to my Equifax and TransUnion reports, which is super helpful. When my score was in the 500s, this was the first site I used when I got serious about fixing my credit, and I love how it teaches you about your scores and how to read your report. However, you should take the scores that they show with a grain of salt. Credit Karma shows VantageScores, which are great for educational purposes, but they don't necessarily reflect what a lender would see. Sometimes they're really close to your FICO scores, but other times, not so much. So even if Credit Karma is showing an excellent score, I'd still double-check my FICO on Experian before applying for a new loan or credit.
Where you can get it: Sign up for an account on their website
How much it costs: Free
7. Honey
@honey / Via instagram.com
Honey is a browser extension for Chrome that searches for active coupon codes and automatically applies them for you so you can always find the best deals. It's fast, easy, and free, and they also have a rewards program that lets you earn gift cards. You can also put items on a watch list and get alerts when the price goes down. Between Honey's coupon codes and my other favorite rewards apps, I feel like I'm really able to get more while spending less.
Where you can get it: Add it to your browser here
How much it costs: Free
8. Acorns
Acorns / Via acorns.com
I started investing with Acorns in 2018 with a $5 deposit. Back then, I was on a pretty tight budget, making about $36,000 a year, and still paying off credit card debt. But I was really motivated and excited to grow my money. Acorns appealed to me because you can set up automatic deposits and also use roundups to invest the change from your purchases, and you don't have to choose investments. Instead, you can pick a portfolio based on how much risk you're comfortable with.
At first, I put in $5 a week. As my income has gone up and down, I've upped my contributions at some times while pausing them at others, which is super easy to do in the app. In addition to my regular Invest account with Acorns, I also opened a Roth IRA, so I can save more for retirement too. Today, I feel extremely privileged to have over $4,000 stashed away in my Acorns accounts, and it all started with one small deposit.
Where you can get it: Sign up for an account on their website
How much it costs: Starts at $1 per month
9. SoFi
@sofi / Via instagram.com
Up until this year, I wasn't super interested in actually picking individual stocks. However, after watching what happened with GameStop stock, I have to admit I felt some FOMO. So after poking around and looking at a few different investing apps, I decided to go with SoFi. I like that it's free to start, the fees for trading are pretty low, and the fact that SoFi offers so many other services and financial education resources. As a SoFi member, you can make a free appointment with a financial planner to get personalized guidance, which is an awesome perk.
So far, I've invested in some environmentally consciousETFs, bought fractional shares in the tech I use every day, and have fractional shares in companies that I think are going to grow a lot in the future. This kind of investing is pretty new to me, so I'm really only putting in small amounts, for example, a $2 fractional share in Apple. My plan is to watch these small investments, keep learning about the market, and work on my skills from there.
Where you can get it: Sign up for an account on their website
How much it costs: Free
10. QuickBooks Self-Employed
@quickbooks / Via instagram.com
OK, I don't technically use this tool at the moment, but when I was freelancing it made my life sooo much easier. I used it to create invoices and track my income and expenses, but the biggest plus for me was how it helped with my freelancer taxes. In case you didn't know, taxes aren't taken out of your checks automatically when you do gig work or freelance, so you have to pay estimated taxes four times a year. Sounds simple-ish, but estimating how much you owe the IRS is never super easy or fun. I loved this tool because it tracked how much my tax payments should be as I was earning, which made it so much easier to plan and save the right amounts. And it also kept me on track by reminding me when payments were due. It's a super helpful tool that I'd recommend to anyone who's freelancing or making a lot of cash with a side-hustle.
Where you can get it: Sign up for an account on their website
How much it costs: $7.50 per month
Is there a money management tool that you truly love using? Shout it out in the comments.
And for more money tips and tricks, check out the rest of our personal finance posts.
