YNAB

YNAB, which stands for You Need a Budget, is one of the best-known dedicated budgeting apps. This platform has been around for years, and there’s a good reason for that.

Its approach revolves around deciding what the money you currently have needs to do as soon as you get it. Instead of simply looking back at what you spent last month, you assign the money you have right now to categories based on what you need it for.

You might have categories for groceries and gas, for example. You can also gradually set money aside for an expense that won’t arrive for several months. That way, instead of having to find $1,200 by the end of the year, you can start assigning $100 to that category each month so it’s not as hard.

Another great thing about YNAB is that it can automatically import transactions from supported banks, although this isn’t available everywhere. It currently supports select banks in the US and Canada, along with the UK and European Union. Everyone else has to manually import their transactions, which isn’t all that bad, especially if you don’t tend to have much control over your finances.

There’s a 34-day free trial when you subscribe directly through YNAB, after which you’ll need a paid subscription, which can be a bit pricey. The good news is that you can share it with up to five other people, which is perfect for the whole family.