Saving money has become a major priority for many people. Fortunately, there is a range of software to help you not only save money, but to spend it wisely and organize your finances. With the myriad of titles available, it can be a challenge to choose the best one for your needs. For all you Mac owners out there, here are the top five tools to streamline your personal economy:
1. Moneydance
Moneydance ($49.99 – Mac App Store) offers you the ability to pay your bills online. Additionally, you can better manage your financial accounts, get help with budgeting, learn more about investments, and more. It's a bit pricey $49.99, but is certainly worth considering.
Moneydance Screenshot
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2. iFinance
One of the best features of iFinance ($29.99 – Mac App Store) is the three-dimensional graphs, charts, and diagrams that allow you to easily view and analyze your finances. You can break down your spending into convenient categories such as rent, insurance, and groceries. If you're currently using personal finance software, switching over to iFinance is fairly easy. It's also affordably priced at $29.99.
iFinance
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3. You Need a Budget (YNAB)
Although available for Windows users as well, You Need a Budget ($60) (Money Crasher's review) is an excellent tool for Mac users who want to improve their finances. It's based on four simple rules that involve putting your money to work for you, saving for the future, being flexible, and giving yourself a cushion. It offers a 34-day free trial, or you can purchase it for $60. It is slightly expensive, but it can be worth it depending upon how much help you need.
You Need a Budget
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4. iBank
The iBank app ($9.99 – Mac App Store) can assist you in monitoring your banking and credit card accounts, and it also incorporates the envelope budgeting method, which allows you to create different budgeting categories. It also comes with a handy camera integration feature, so you can take a picture of a receipt and attach it to a financial record. iBank also comes with a free 30-day trial, and a purchase price of $59.99. Once again, this is a little expensive in my view but the camera integration can certainly help keep your finances organized while on the go.
iBank
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5. Koku
With Koku ($29.99 – Mac App Store), you no longer have to log in to all of your banking and credit card account websites, as it stores all of this information for you in one place. You can create “tags” to assign to each of your transactions. It also comes with filtering options if you want to research a particular set of purchases based on a spending category and/or purchase amount. While you can use it for a brief free trial period, it† can be purchased for the relatively affordable price of $29.99.
Koku
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Final Thoughts
When deciding what programs best meet your personal finance software needs, it's best to weigh the benefits versus the cost. Are your finances in disarray? Or do they just need a little fine-tuning? It's the answers to those questions and more that will help determine which one is right for you. At the end of the day, either you run your finances – or they run you. So choose wisely, and get to work on improving your financial situation today.