A Budgeting Tool to Use in the New Year: A Review of Mint.com (2024)

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A Budgeting Tool to Use in the New Year: A Review of Mint.com (1)

On a list of things that I typically steer clear of blogging about, finances is hiiiiigh up there!

On a list of things that I typically love blogging about, my favorite thingsare super high.

So I guess these two lists arecolliding today because we’re talking abudgeting tool that we’re totally into and I thought you might be into as well. So many people make financial goals as part of their new year resolutions, so I found this to be timely to share our new favorite thing. 🙂

A Review of Our New Favorite Budgeting Tool: Mint.com

A Budgeting Tool to Use in the New Year: A Review of Mint.com (2)

Back in September we finally set up Mint.com, a free online budgeting tool and app that’s incredibly easy to use.

  1. Once I created an account,I linked our checking account, credit card account, and investment accounts.
  2. Then we set up our budgeting categories and how much money to allot to each category.
  3. Next I went back through our August transactions (that were pulled up automatically after linking our accounts) and put each of them into the categories we’d just set up.

Going back through our August transactions was key because it showed us how much money we were actually spending in each category. It was surprising to see that we were spending less in some categories that we thought we were spending more in, and vice versa.

4. After assigning our August transactions to categories, we went back through our categories and adjusted how much we actually needed to budget to meet our needs and wants.

Jamie and I both put the app on our iPhones and pull it up each day to assign our transactions to categories. We always thought we were decentcommunicators about finances, but this has been another avenue to keep each other extra accountable as well as on the same page with our finances without actually having to discuss it often.

We’d tried this before…

We’d actually tried Mint.com about two years ago after a couple family members raved about it. We gave up on it quickly because I got frustrated trying to fit our unique transactions into categories (for example, I didn’t know where to categorize a random medical bill, pedicure, hotel stay, or even Sadie’s new car seat), and my personality really needs every transaction to have a logical category for me to stick with something as rigid as this. Aforementioned family member helped me out with this. 🙂 I didn’t want an “other” category. Too broad for me. Having categories such as personal care, gifts, general shopping, home improvements, entertainment, Army expenses, babysitter, etc. have all been very helpful.

Let’s chat!

There are a million budgeting tools out there. Do you use one? Why or why not? If so, which one to you use? Any tips for us as newbie Mint.com users?

Giveaway winner

Congratulations to Heather C. and Britt H., the two winners of the prize pack from Susie, a Rodan + Fields consultant. If you’re interested in gifting a regimen to yourself or a loved one, please contact Susie here to get set up!

A Budgeting Tool to Use in the New Year: A Review of Mint.com (3)

Erica

Hi! I’m Erica, and I absolutely adore sharing my life on this website with you! I come here almost daily to blab about all of the things related to being a regular wife and mother in today’s ever-evolving society. I share about our new home, what’s on our kitchen table, what we’re hanging in our closets, where we’re traveling to next, my crazy 5 a.m. work outs, how I make time for girlfriends, our faith, and much more. We always have a lot of balls in the air and somewhat thrive on the chaos. I believe in the power of story-telling as a form of inspiration and entertainment, so I’m here to do both! I was born and raised in north Alabama and recently re-planted roots here again after my husband transitioned out of the Army (he is now in the Reserve and it’s going so well!) I’m a super proud mom to three little girls (ages 7, 4, and 1) who seem to be the stars of the show around here (for good reason – they’re pretty great!) I’m so glad you found me and are here reading! I hope we can get to know each other here on the blog as well as Facebook and/or Instagram. xoxo

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A Budgeting Tool to Use in the New Year: A Review of Mint.com (2024)

FAQs

Is Mint a budgeting tool? ›

Mint, a budgeting app acquired by Intuit in 2009, is shutting down as of Saturday, March 23, 2024. Mint shows users an overview of their financial well-being by displaying the current status of multiple linked accounts on one screen.

Is Mint going away in 2024? ›

Mint will go offline March 23, 2024.

The Mint budgeting app officially shut down on March 23, 2024, and users can no longer access their data on the app. Intuit®, which owns Mint and other personal finance platforms like QuickBooks® and TurboTax®, suggested users migrate to Credit Karma, which it also owns.

Why is Mint shutting down? ›

According to its parent company, Intuit, Mint wasn't making enough money, so Intuit began the app's closure in January.

How safe is the Mint budget app? ›

Is Mint safe to use? Mint is a personal finance app that is safe to use. The company has safety features including multi-factor authentication and security scanning tools to keep your account and personal data safe. Does it cost money to use Mint?

How do I use Mint budget tool? ›

Click on the "Budgets" tab and select "Create a Budget." Follow the prompts to enter your income and expenses, and Mint will automatically create a budget for you. Mint automatically categorizes your transactions based on the merchant name, but you can also categorize them manually.

Is Mint.com shutting down? ›

The popular budgeting app Mint is going away on March 23. Intuit says app users can transition to Credit Karma, but it won't have the same budgeting features. If you used Mint to make budgets, here are seven alternative options.

Does Ryan Reynolds own Mint Mobile? ›

Ryan Reynolds's Mint Mobile was bought by T-Mobile for $1.35 billion. Ryan Reynolds has assumed many guises since he shot to fame in the 1990s. And while the Deadpool star has become a widely recognized actor, he's also become closely associated with his two brands—Aviation Gin and Mint Mobile.

What is the best Mint alternative? ›

Mint alternatives: Comparison
AppCostInterface
EveryDollarFree version Premium: $17.99 per month or gift $79.99 per yearWeb, mobile (iOS and Android)
Tiller$79 per yearWeb, email
Credit KarmaFreeWeb, mobile (iOS and Android)
NerdWalletFreeWeb, mobile (iOS and Android)
6 more rows
Apr 16, 2024

What company owns Mint? ›

Mint Mobile, the prepaid wireless brand in which Ryan Reynolds holds a minority ownership stake, has been acquired by T-Mobile in a deal worth up to $1.35 billion.

Who owns Mint company? ›

The company was founded in 2015 as Mint SIM, a subsidiary of Ultra Mobile, by Ultra Mobile founder David Glickman, and Rizwan Kassim. In November 2019, the corporate spin-off of the company from Ultra Mobile was completed and Ryan Reynolds acquired 20–25% ownership in it.

Who bought Mint com? ›

On November 2, 2009, Intuit announced its acquisition of Mint.com was complete. The former CEO of Mint.com, Aaron Patzer, was named vice president and general manager of Intuit's personal finance group, responsible for Mint.com and all Quicken online, desktop, and mobile offerings.

What are the downsides of using Mint? ›

Pros and Cons of Mint
Pros of MintCons of Mint
Ease of useLack of investing features
Free to useIntrusive ads
Financial summaries and alerts via email or text messageProblems with account synchronization
Free credit score courtesy of EquifaxLack of bill pay feature
3 more rows

Are there better budgeting apps than Mint? ›

YNAB Money Management Tool

One of the biggest Mint competitors is You Need a Budget, or YNAB. It can get very specific in your expense tracking and categorization. Most folks love it because of that, as well as its zero-based budgeting method.

Is Mint better than quicken? ›

Quicken has much more functionality and can grow with you over time. It's also better than Mint if you're a small business owner or are managing rental properties. Quicken is also better than Mint for tracking investments and planning your retirement.

How is Mint different than QuickBooks? ›

QuickBooks is a great accounting software that is primarily designed for small businesses. If you are looking to track your personal expenses, then Mint is the best option for you. Mint is an excellent tool that allows you to keep track of your personal finances all in one place.

Is Mint or personal capital better for budgeting? ›

While there is some overlap, these apps were designed for two very different types of users. Personal Capital (now Empower) is better at helping you invest and manage your portfolio, while Mint is much better at helping you budget and save your money.

What type of software is Mint? ›

Mint is a personal finance management tool that helps users track their spending, save money and make more informed financial decisions. Mint pulls all your financial accounts into one place, so you can finally get a clear picture of your spending, budgeting and investing.

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