Ever since our ancestors made dents in rocks to count their grain 🌾 we’ve been using technology to take control of our lives and get ourselves organised. And this much is still true: whoever you are, whatever you do, you need the right tools if you want to get the job done.
Managing your money isn’t any different. Without the right tools, you’re going to be in for a bad time — but the good news is, there are so very many tools out there to make things that much easier.
Here’s a short selection of the tools and technology available to help you master your money. Don’t think of this as an exhaustive list — it’s more a starting-off point, to give you a taste of what’s out there. That way, you’ll be better able to take a look at all the options and decide what’s best for you.
Chip
When you connect Chip to your accounts, you can set yourself goals and set a saving level — Chip will automatically save some of your money for you based on your preferences. You can set a “Payday Put Away” amount, too, so Chip does your saving for you when you get paid.
Chip also provides analytics, so you can track your income and expenses, and they provide an investment platform, too. (Be aware, though — as always with investing, your capital is at risk. Check out the Investing 101 pathway for further info.
Chip has a 28 free trial, and after that it’s £1.50 every 28 days — or you can switch to the free ChipLite version.
Emma
Emma connects to and analyses your accounts to assist you with your spending — you can set up budgets, track direct debits, subscriptions and bank fees, and identify ways to save.
Once everything is set up, you can look over all your accounts in one place through Emma’s bright and engaging interface. It’s free to use, with a paid Pro option for those who want to get a bit more serious about using the service.
Money Dashboard
Money Dashboard won the British Bank Awards for Best Personal Finance App in 2017, 2018, and again in 2020 — so you could certainly say this app has made an impression. It’s free to sign up and free to use.
When you link your accounts together in Money Dashboard, you can see everything at a glance, and you can manage your bills, subscriptions, and spending with the touch of a button. With Money Dashboard, you can create budgets and set up custom categories to help you keep better track of your spending.
Yolt
After you’ve linked Yolt to your accounts and got everything organised in one place, you can create your own prepaid Yolt account — you can set yourself a budget, so you’re using a set amount to make your everyday purchases.
Yolt is free to use, and there are other handy features to help you save, like setting up automatic “round ups” to go to your Money Jar — a separate account, where the small change from your purchases goes to boost your savings.
And finally…
When it comes to downloading apps, don’t just take our word for it – be sure you do your homework first. Check the reviews, make sure the company is reputable, read over the Terms and Conditions so you understand what you’re getting — and what you’re giving away, in terms of the data you’re agreeing to share.
Fintech is growing every day, and there are so many tools to choose from. Take a look around, investigate the options, and you’re sure to find the tools to use to meet your money goals.
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Sources
Best budgeting apps (The Guardian)