Budgeting is one of the most important skills that a person can have in order to survive in today’s economy (and I would even say thrive). There is no doubt that many of us would love to be able to save money; however, there are times when it can be very challenging to do so. Most of the time, many people find budgeting a rather depressing process because it forces you to take a good hard look at your finances and figure out exactly where every penny of yours is going.
You can keep your finances in order by keeping a budget, which is one of the most basic yet effective methods of doing so. There is no doubt that budgeting is not an easy task, and it does require some effort on your part to accomplish it. In this blog post, I am going to provide you with the best tools for budgeting that will assist you in creating and sticking to a budget. We also cover the free budgeting tools for both beginner businesses and experts. So let’s dive right in!
Best Budgeting Tools For Businesses
1. Scoro
The Scoro system combines the budgeting features with other tools to allow you to manage your entire company in one place. There is also an option for you to manage expenses and resources, use a financial dashboard, and manage the budget of your projects.
Top features:
- Planning and forecasting of budgets
- Analysis and reports on financial matters
- Budgets for projects are unlimited
- KPI dashboard for financial performance
- Automation of professional services billing and invoicing
- A revenue stream based on invoices that is automated
This tool has a unique feature that makes it suitable for managing your entire business in a single solution and putting all the financial information in one place. It combines the tools for budgeting, CRM, and project management so that you can manage your entire business in a single solution.
Pricing: From $26 per user per month, with a 14-day free trial available.
2. Centage
Centage is a comprehensive enterprise budgeting software provider that provides different tools called Maestros that are used for budgeting, forecasting, financial reporting, etc. The Centage system might be the right choice for you if you’re looking for a complete solution.
Top features:
- Planning and budgeting for the future
- Indicators and forecasts
- Reporting and dashboards for financial performance
- Analyses that are comprehensive
What’s special about this tool: Among other features, Centage can be integrated with widely used enterprise management software, such as SAGE, Dynamics, and QuickBooks.
Pricing: Upon Reques
3. Prophix
Prophix claims that it has created a software system for corporate performance management, which means that it includes a range of small tools that help a company manage its resources and plan its budgets more efficiently.
Top features:
- Creating a budget, planning for the future, and forecasting
- Reporting on financial, statutory, and management information
- Developing a cash flow plan
- Optimisation and modeling of profitability
- Developing a personnel plan
What’s special about this tool: Prophix believes it is important to offer its users a wholesome product that can grow with the company as it grows.
Pricing: Upon Request
4. Float
Float is a software product for forecasting cash flows and managing budgets that is easy to use and integrates seamlessly with other financial management tools like Xero, Quickbooks Online, and free agent.
Top features:
- Forecasting of cash flow
- Budgeting for businesses
- Reporting in a visual way
What’s special about this tool: It is a tool that is very visual and easy to use that helps to bring clarity to the budgeting process and the cash flow for your company.
Pricing: For a small (1 user account) it costs $35/month, for a medium (3 user accounts) it costs $59/month, and for a large (10 user accounts) it costs $119/month
5. Planguru
In comparison with Centage and Prophix, Planguru is a more simple budgeting software system, which might be what you’re looking for to manage the budget of your small company.
Top features:
- Structures for integrated financial statements that have been pre-built
- Utility for Payroll Processing
- The best engagement tools for professional accountants
- There are more than 20 standard forecasting methods available
- A forecast based on non-financial data can be made
What’s special about this tool: The tool comes with a separate analytics tool that helps you to gain a better understanding of your financial status and to make better decisions based on your data.
Pricing: A monthly fee of $99 per company and $29 per additional user.
6. GIDE
GIDE provides companies with a comprehensive corporate performance management platform by combining budgeting, strategic planning, and rolling forecasts within a single non-disruptive environment that consolidates projects, companies, and business departments.
Top features:
- The profit and loss statement, the balance sheet, and the cash flow statement
- Planning for capital assets
- Structuring of capital
- Data relating to operational activities
- The working capital of a company
What’s special about this tool: Compared to the average of 8 weeks it takes to implement budgeting software, GIDE promises to have a fast implementation process of two weeks.
Pricing: N/A
7. Pen and Paper
There are several budgeting apps and software available today, but if you just want to write a budget, you don’t need anything more than a pen and some paper. There are a number of basic budgeting processes that you can follow, including writing down all your expenses, from monthly bills to small discretionary purchases like morning coffee and lunches. Then, categorize those expenses in order of whether they are needs or wants so that you can allocate resources accordingly. Once your income has been added up, you can proceed to the next step. You should spend most of your income on your needs first, and any money left over can be spent on wants if you have any left over.
If your expenses exceed your income, you’ll need to determine what changes to make. You may be able to balance your budget by cutting out wants, such as dining out or a gym membership, but in some cases, you may need to consider more significant changes such as moving to an area with a lower cost of living.
8. Envelopes
Using an envelope system involves the use of envelopes that are marked with major budget categories such as groceries, clothing, and dining out. In this way, you will be able to track how much money is available for each category of spending and how quickly it can be spent.
According to Howard Dvorkin, CPA and chairman of Debt.com, the envelope method is an excellent tool for budgeting, because it forces people to take control over their spending with cash in hand, making it easier for them to take control of their finances. In the event that the money in an envelope has run out, it signals to the spending department that no further purchases are to be made in that category until the cash has been replenished.
9. Spreadsheets
In order to keep track of income and expenses in a way that is highly customizable, you can use a spreadsheet. The Dvorkin family offers templates for budgeting spreadsheets that come formatted with formulas, dates, and labels that people can download for free. This method can reduce the amount of guesswork that is involved when it comes to creating a budget, and it can also make the process of editing a budget and keeping track of income easier.”
There are many free budget templates that can be found on both Google Sheets and Microsoft Excel. There is also an option to create your own, though you might have to go through a learning curve in order to use the programs correctly. The support website for Microsoft’s Office products provides free online training courses that can be accessed 24/7. Otherwise, you can find plenty of tutorials on YouTube that can help you learn how to do this.
10. Worksheets
When it comes to making a budget, a worksheet can eliminate some of the guesswork involved when you are doing it for the first time. Oftentimes, these papers contain recommended percentages that help you decide how much money you should spend in each category on a monthly basis based on your earnings.
There are a number of organizations that offer free budgeting worksheets on the Internet. It is recommended that you consult the American Consumer Credit Counseling, a nonprofit credit counseling organization, which offers sheets for household budgeting, tracking expenses, and budgeting for specific purposes. Regions Bank, on the other hand, has free worksheets that anyone can download from its Next Step Financial Education website, including a worksheet for creating a personal spending plan and a worksheet for tracking the amount you spend on a daily basis.
It is my belief that through the resources and tools we offer through Regions Next Step, such as these worksheets, people will be able to improve their financial skills, stay organized, and take the next steps towards achieving their goals,” said Joye Hehn, Regions Bank’s vice president for financial education strategy and implementation.
11. Banking Tools and Apps
You may be able to find free budgeting tools on your bank’s website, which is just a few clicks away. It has been reported that institutions such as Bank of America, Chase, as well as local credit unions are offering budgeting tools to their customers that allow them to track expenses, run spending reports and export data to spreadsheets or computer software that can help them manage their expenses.
In order to help our customers make the most possible use of their money, Chase is constantly improving its digital banking features,” Divilek remarks. A budget feature is available within the Chase Mobile app that allows users to track their spending throughout the month, as well as determine how much is available after bills and transfers have been paid.
In the event that you pay your bills online, then you may have the ability to create charts and graphs that categorize your spending and you can use this information to develop a household budget. It is also possible that banks offer other tools that aren’t specifically geared towards budgeting, but can be useful for managing money in many ways. In some cases, you may be able to set up automatic transfers to your savings account or receive alerts when there is a low balance on your account, for example.
12. Mint
It would be impossible to create a list of free budgeting tools without mentioning the many free budgeting websites and apps that are available today. Among the many budgeting applications that can be accessed from the web and smartphones, Mint could be the most well-known, since it offers comprehensive services that are completely free of charge.
Mint allows users to link up to three financial accounts to the service, which then allows them to track and categorize their spending based on the accounts. As part of its features, it includes a payment tracker and a bill reminder, as well as calculators that people can use to determine how their decisions may have an impact on their progress towards their objectives.
13. Honeydue
With Honeydue, couples can stay on track financially without having to worry about fighting over money as it was specially designed for partners managing money together. With this free app, users can link multiple accounts so that they can share spending information and balances across the multiple accounts. If necessary, partners have the option of discussing specific transactions through a chat feature.
To help you stay on top of your monthly budget, Honeydue categorizes expenses so it’s easy to stay on top of your spending. As part of this app, you will also receive a reminder when your bills are due. It is important to note that Honeydue also offers joint bank accounts, with deposits insured by Sutton Bank, for those who want a joint bank account.
14. SoFi Relay
Besides SoFi Relay, there are a number of other free budgeting apps available. The application allows users to link accounts, review balances, and set spending targets. As a result of this feature, accounts can be aggregated and spending can be viewed by category for ease of use.
Besides providing access to VantageScore 3.0 credit scores, the app also makes it easy to connect with a professional to discuss financial goals and strategies in a simple manner. As part of the SoFi Relay program, all users will be able to speak with a financial planner from the company at no charge for 30 minutes.
15. Goodbudget
This goal-oriented budgeting software is designed for those who like the idea of using envelope cash management systems, but don’t want to deal with the hassle of carrying physical envelopes around with them all the time.
With Goodbudget, users are able to fund virtual envelopes to keep track of their expenses and the information about their budgets can be synced across devices. In addition to ten regular envelopes, the free version also includes ten additional envelopes, one year of account history, and access to a community support forum for further assistance.
16. Truebill
In order to create a workable budget, it is often necessary to reduce expenses, and Truebill is an app that can assist users in identifying sources of spending that may fly under the radar if they try to budget properly. Upon linking your bank account to Truebill, it will automatically search for recurring payments, such as subscription services, and let you cancel those accounts, if you wish to do so.
Additionally, Truebill can also help you keep track of your spending by creating a budget based on your transactions. There is a possibility that it may be able to lower monthly expenses associated with wireless and cable bills as well as insurance bills through its bill negotiation feature. It is free to download and use the Truebill app, however, Truebill will collect 40% of the savings if the app is successful in reducing your bill.
Free Budgeting Tools For Personal Use
Keeping an eye on your expenses is one of the most important steps to managing your money successfully. In order to accomplish this, there are several ways to do so, including making use of free software and services. You may be surprised to discover that free personal finance software can be surprisingly capable. These apps can help you track your spending, create and manage budgets, run reports, and more.
1. Mint
The Mint online budget planner is run by Intuit, the same company that produces TurboTax and Quickbooks. With this app, you are able to have an overview of all your financial data in one place, giving you a better look at your budget, your spending, your bills, and your credit score. Using this app, you will be able to add your own budget, set your own goals and reminders, and sync your data across your apps and the web. A multi-factor authentication system as well as encryption enhance the security of the system. In addition to keeping track of your investments and portfolio, Mint offers a number of other useful features.
If you are an iOS or Android user, you can access Mint via the web or the app on your phone. It is one of the best tools for budgeting on mobile devices.
2. GnuCash
There are a number of features in GnuCash that allow users to track their bank accounts, stocks, income, and expenses on their desktop computers. As a double-entry accounting program, GnuCash is based on a balanced bookkeeping system and has a number of reports you can run to view your financial data. In addition to this, GnuCash provides small businesses with an array of accounting tools that allow them to manage customers, vendors, invoicing, bill payment, and even payroll for companies of all sizes.
The GnuCash software is compatible with Windows, Mac OS X, GNU/Linux, BSD, and Solaris systems. As part of the desktop software, there is a companion app for Android that will allow you to keep track of expenses on the go and import them later from the app to the desktop software.
3. AceMoney Lite
As a Quicken alternative, AceMoney Lite claims to be the best in the business. The application provides you with the ability to manage your budget, track your finances in different currencies, keep track of your investments, as well as analyze your spending habits. Online banking is also an option that you can take advantage of. This is a lite version of the application, so you are limited to two accounts, but the full version allows you to have as many as you want.
There is no difference in the compatibility of AceMoney Lite with Windows and Mac OS X.
4. Personal Capital
With the help of Personal Capital, you can track investments and plan for retirement, as well as manage cash flow, spend, create budgets, and monitor your net worth with its free financial software.
There isn’t a lot of budgeting functionality in Personal Capital due to its focus on investments and showing you how your portfolio has performed over time and helping you make decisions for the future. Therefore, its budgeting component isn’t as robust as other financial software programs.
The Personal Capital service might not be the best fit for you if you are not an investor or like to fine-tune your budget over getting a broad view of the markets. The free tools offered by the site will help you keep track of how well you are doing if you are planning to save for college or for retirement.
It is possible to access Personal Capital through the Web or via apps for Android or iOS devices.
5. Buddi
It is an open source budget program that is compatible with Windows, Mac, and Linux systems, and it has also been translated into a number of languages. There is a password-protection feature in Buddi, and it’s designed to be simple to use even if you have no background in financial matters.
There are a number of features included in this software, such as budgeting, tracking accounts, and creating personal finance reports, but you will have to enter transactions manually. It is easy to use, and there is also a free plugin that adds more features, as well as an online user manual you can read and use.
There are three versions of Buddi available: one for Windows, one for Mac OS X, and one for Linux.
Free Budget Spreadsheets For Beginners
For those of you who do not need full-featured personal financial software, but just wish to keep a budget, there are several good free budget spreadsheet templates you can download and use with Microsoft Excel, OpenOffice Calc or Google Sheets. You can easily get a handle on the cash flow of your business by downloading them and opening them in your spreadsheet software.
1. Quicken
It has been a long time since Quicken has been around, and while it started out as just a desktop application, it is now available as an app for all mobile devices, making it a highly accessible way to manage your personal finances.
There are many features in Quicken that can be used to generate financial reports. Various topics are covered in this section, from budgeting to bills and account management to even investing to name a few. Whenever you are planning your budget, you can enter your purchases and income so that you are able to compare them so you can get a better idea of how much you are spending compared to how much you earn.
When it comes to bills, you will be able to see which utilities you are always paying and how much money you have left over, as well as the amounts you owe and how much money you have left over from your budget. It is even possible to combine your credit card payments and your banking transactions into one place for accounting purposes, so you know exactly how much you are paying out every month. There is an especially good reason for this as consumers frequently underestimate how much simple purchases might have an impact on their budgets.
Furthermore, it provides you with the ability to track your investments, whether they are a part of your savings, your investment portfolio, or your 401k pension plan. There is no doubt that you have a good idea of how much your savings and assets are worth, even if it’s fair to say that there are some risks involved.
In total, Quicken combines your banking, investment reporting, and budgeting in one easy-to-use dashboard, which can be accessed from either a desktop computer or your mobile device by downloading the mobile app.
2. YNAB
You Need A Budget, or YNAB for short, is here just in case you wish to obtain precise instructions on how to use it. It is absolutely necessary if you do not want to spend every single penny you have and more if you don’t want to put your life at risk by going broke. You may also find that you have more money than you had anticipated.
YNAB, as you may imagine, is primarily designed in order to assist you in reducing your expenditures, so that you do not have to live paycheck to paycheck. It is important to follow the plan and moderate your spending, and soon YNAB will realize that you are using the funds from last month instead of the funds you received the previous month.
A key feature of this program is that it is easy to set up, supports a large amount of transaction data that can be downloaded from banks, and it is auto-adjusted so that users can use it by themselves or as small businesses by altering the monetary categories to suit their needs.
As soon as you stray from your course, YNAB will inform you of what you need to do to get back on track, which is surprisingly understanding and forgiving for a piece of software. There will be some compromises to make, but if direction is what you are looking for, then this stands out from competitor’s like Quicken.
3. Banktree
BankTree supports multiple currencies by providing balances in multiple currencies rather than rounding them off to one. With its mobile app, you can scan receipts and input them later to keep track of anything else.
Though BankTree’s interface isn’t as appealing as some of its more sophisticated brethren, it provides some pretty neat reports broken down by payee or time. A free trial would be worthwhile before buying.
A year’s updates and support are included with the desktop program. Any subsequent PCs require a fee. There is also a browser-based version.
Before buying, you can try BankTree free for 30 days to see if it’s right for you.
4. Money Dashboard
One of the best money management tools available is Money Dashboard’s iOS/Android app. It doesn’t try to revolutionize banking or offer anything truly ground-breaking. You can access all of your UK bank accounts and credit cards in one place by connecting all of your accounts. That’s enough for us to suggest it.
Your spending on loans, consumables, transportation, and other expenses will be displayed in a detailed pie chart on Money Dashboard. It shows you how much cash is available in your accounts and your total balance. Comparing this amount to the previous one is also possible.
5. Moneydance
Moneydance is a desktop money management program designed specifically for Mac users (but it also runs on Windows and Linux). The app lets you see current expenses, invoices, and accounts instantly. Your selection is reflected in the main content when you click on an item in the left sidebar.
Moneydance’s account register is very helpful, and its reporting capabilities are solid but not eye-catching. This works in a very similar way to checking your bank account. The desktop software syncs with the iOS app for recording transactions on the go.
For UK users, Moneydance is unable to support the connection protocols used by UK banks, so they must manually download their transaction history. US users are covered, however.
Best Small Business Budgeting Software
1. Mint
Over 30 million users across industries and business sizes use Mint, a budgeting app created in 2006. With this software, you can keep track of your monthly expenses and savings. With Mint, you can sync multiple accounts, create payment reminders, check your credit, manage your budget, track your assets, and more. You can set up and use Mint for free, and it’s very simple.
2. FreshBooks
Small businesses use FreshBooks for accounting and financial management. This program includes some basic budgeting features and might be worth a try. Besides cost tracking, invoice creation, receipt scanning, and information access via the mobile app, FreshBooks’ entry-level plan includes common budgeting features. Budgeting advice is available from FreshBooks for small business owners.
3. PocketGuard
Pocketguard is an entirely automatic budgeting app. The “In My Pocket” feature lets you see how much money you have left to spend each week or month. It keeps track of all your subscriptions, including professional memberships, marketing software, and trade magazines, so you don’t get charged for services you don’t use. Another advantage of PocketGuard is its ability to manage recurrent expenses. $4.99 per month for the Pro version.
4. Make a budget with YNAB
With the award-winning app You Need a Budget (YNAB), small business owners, especially freelancers and solopreneurs, can revamp their budgets and often save $6,000 in the first year. Don’t you think so? With the app’s graphic graphs and charts, you can follow your objectives and progress from anywhere. With YNAB, you can encrypt your data and passwords. Through the YNAB app ($14.99/month), you can take online classes to manage your budget even if your income is irregular.
5. Simplifi by Quicken
Simple by Quicken is an excellent app to check out if you’re starting a business where the cash flow isn’t consistent or if you’re already an entrepreneur. With Simplifi, you can keep an eye on your spending, make spending plans, and create a monthly budget. You can accurately track the progress of your startup with real-time updates on spending (both personal and business).
6. Mvelopes
Designed like a cash envelope system, Mvelopes is a popular budgeting app for solopreneurs and independent contractors. Digital envelopes can be created for any category that applies to your business, such as client meetings, equipment, and shipping. Mvelopes lets you adjust your budget even as income varies from month to month. A cool feature is the envelope turning red if you overspend. The entry-level package costs $5.97 per month, but your company can save $6,175 on average with Mvelopes.
7. InDinero
It can be challenging to keep track of where all your money goes when you’re just getting started. With InDinero, you can organize your bookkeeping, budgets, and taxes. Forecasting models and cash flow statements are available. On the app, you can find useful instructions on startup finance. There are custom pricing options available for InDinero if you need a comprehensive accounting solution.
8. Goodbudget
The budgeting program Goodbudget is accessible on phones and laptops. It’s based on envelope-budgeting, a tried-and-true method that allows business owners to see both their personal and business finances. Goodbudget does not automatically sync with your bank accounts like its competitors. Import or enter transactions manually. They offer informative books and videos that can help businesspeople learn the basics of budgeting. Goodbudget is available in both free and Plus versions.
9. Toshl
It might be worth checking out Toshl if you are not very concerned about having all the extra bells and whistles. With Toshl you can manually budget and monitor costs with an easy-to-use interface. Your budget and spending can be tracked any way you like – only keep track of travel or eating costs? Graphs showing the precise paths taken by your money are a big hit with users. With Toshl, you can use the free version for as long as you like. A more feature-rich plan is available for $4.99 a month.
10. Personal Capital
With Personal Capital, you can invest and budget through one dashboard. Budgeting, investing, and retirement savings are all possible. An investor, a financial adviser, a portfolio manager or even a small business owner planning for retirement would benefit greatly from this software. Budgeting and categorizing spending are still possible with less robust budgeting options. Investing less than $1 million starts at 0.89 percent with Personal Capital.
11. Albert
Managing your spending, savings, and investments is easy with Albert. Your budget is automatically created by Albert, a powerful AI, based on your income, spending, and obligations. As well as monitoring portfolio performance and investing from $1, it enables you to start investing today. Become an expert on emerging markets, Albert’s hand-picked equities, and other worldwide investment trends. It costs $6/month to use Albert Genius, which has a majority of free features.
12. PlanGuru
New businesses and accountants and finance professionals will find PlanGuru a quick, effective budgeting tool. With the program, you can create a straightforward yet adaptable budget for your small business. PlanGuru’s 20 forecasting tools are its key selling point. QuickBooks Online, Excel, and Xero sync effortlessly. PlanGuru costs $99 a month.
13. Honeydew
Manage budgets with another individual might be a little sticky. When you and your partner share the business bank account and credit cards, Honeydew makes it easier for you to track costs. How? Honeydew allows you to connect accounts, loans, and credit cards to the app so you can see each other’s situation. The best thing about Honeydew is its alluring cost: free! It features categories for office supplies, travel costs, and raw materials.
Conclusion
There’s no doubt about it- budgeting is a challenge. It’s very hard to make and stick to effective budgets- especially for large companies with high levels of complexity. Our research shows that lack of budgeting tools is one of the top reasons why budgets fail.