The Best Free Budget Tools on the Web

There are a number of free budget tools available on the web, some better than others. If you're looking for a free, easy way to keep track of your spending, earnings, and savings, try one of the best budget tools. A number of budget tools ask for access to your accounts, so you need to feel comfortable giving access to a computer program. If you are not, a few allow you to type in the information yourself.

 

 

If keeping the books really isn't your thing, Mint.com may be your best option for a budgeting tool. When you first sign up for the program, it asks you for log-in information for your bank accounts, credit cards, loans, mortgages and other financial data. It then pulls the data in an easy to use dashboard.

 

Mint.com allows you to set amounts for budgeting each month and will warn you when you are about to exceed those amounts. It will also alert you when your bank account balance is low, so that you can avoid any fees from your bank. The web program also lets you set savings goals, such as saving for a trip or goals for paying off debt.

 

One benefit of Mint.com is that it automates your budget, sending you notes when you're about to go over limits and updating your data for you. A downside is that you have to put in your private financial data and depending on where you live, the program may not be able to access your bank data.

 

 

Money Strands is another web-based finance management program that pulls data from your bank and other accounts. You can use Money Strands in a number of different currencies as well as in English and Spanish. Like Mint.com, Money Strands requires you to provide your account numbers and passwords so that it can pull your financial data.

 

It then allows you to see at a glance where your money is going and how you are saving or spending. If you are a visual person, the program lets you color code budget items, so that you can see them easily. It will also send you alerts when your balance is low, a bill is coming due or if a large amount of money is spent.

 

 

Even though Mint.com and Money Strands are secure, you may feel uncomfortable giving access to your accounts to a computer program, particularly one that is web-based. If you'd rather not provide any data, you can sign up for Budget Pulse, which only requires you to give an email address and set up a password to log in. You can export or import your financial data from another budgeting tool or type in your data yourself.

 

As with the other programs, you can use Budget Pulse to set financial goals, such as buying a home or saving for a trip. You can also use the program to help raise funds for your goals, from others or to raise money for an organization. The fundraising tool lets you and those who contribute see how far you have to go until your reach your goal.