4 Budgeting Apps That Make Saving The Most Fun It Can Possibly Be

Budgeting is a hellish experience even at the best of times. Mental images of spreadsheets, receipts and bills haunt even the most seasoned budgeting veteran. Nothing is less thrilling than sitting down and hashing out just how little of your income you’re allowed to spend on fun stuff – we get it.

But these days there are a whole stack of mobile apps that make it much easier and much more enjoyable to set up a budget, stick to it, and not kill yourself via overexposure to Microsoft Excel in the process.

Pocketbook

This Aussie-made app is specifically designed with local banks in mind: its list of supported financial institutions is pretty bloody impressive, and will cover most people.

Pocketbook uses the transaction data from your bank accounts and automatically categorises everything, from your weekly grocery shop to petrol to the “sudden” splurges we all indulge in. Yes, including that huge weekend you didn’t really plan for – we’ve all been there. It’s also well-loved, with both the iOS and Android versions with above four-stars ratings.

Just plug in your deets, and let the app’s clear categorisation of your diabolical spending habits shame you into making better choices in the future.

iOS | Android

You Need A Budget

One of the big players worldwide, You Need A Budget, or YNAB for short, is designed around setting specific rules around every dollar your earn. Because nothing gets the punters going like the words “money” and “rules”.

While it doesn’t have the incredible and easy connectivity of Pocketbook, its value comes in its primo budgeting tools: its tried-and-true savings methods put you on track to quickly pay off your debts and, eventually, squirrel enough away that you’ll be “living off of last month’s pay” – which is a pretty hefty claim, but we’re keen.

iOS | Android

TrackMySPEND

This app, created by the Australian Securities and Investments Commission, sells itself on making you rethink how you spend money.

Specifically, it asks you to label every transaction from a cup of coffee to you big-ticket purchase, as either a “want” or a “need”. Yes, we can see you cringing already about this profound psychological manipulation. But until you condition your brain into realising that a new Xbox One isn’t strictly a ‘need’ by any definition you’d care to cite, this is how its gonna be.

And it’s made by the government! Everybody loves the government, right?

iOS | Android

Habitica

This one isn’t specifically a budgeting app, but it includes budgeting features, and it has to be mentioned if only for the insane creativity behind it. Habitica is a traditional to-do list app mixed with SNES-era ‘Final Fantasy’ sprites.

Every time you complete tasks, daily activities and budgeting errands, you are awarded with XP and loot, just like an actual video game. You can connect with friends, defeat bosses, and progress through levels. So not only are you controlling your spending, you’re getting more organised and tricking your ‘Call of Duty’-addicted brain into releasing those sweet victory endorphins.

There are even mods to add more features to the game, just like ‘Skyrim’! Try getting ‘Candy Crush’ to do that much for ya.

iOS | Android

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