This post was last Updated on August 4, 2022 by Himanshu Tyagi to reflect the accuracy and up-to-date information on the page.
So much attention goes to studying that it’s easy to forget that you need money to get through college. While using academic writing services to help you with your assignments, remember that you need to pay for it and other services you enjoy in college. And your best bet for managing your finances is to become better at budgeting, which is where budgeting apps come in.
These apps are handy for those on student loans and anyone whose parents can’t dish out six-figure cheques on a whim—basically, most of us.
But since many budgeting apps exist, this article will trim the chaff and present the best eight.
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8 Apps to Help College Students Budget Better
1. Chip
Any student looking for a tool that allows them to budget, save, and invest should download Chip. This app lets you diversify and invest your money instead of just hoarding the funds in a dormant bank account.
You do not have to worry about your money’s security as the app works with the Financial Services Compensation Scheme and uses bank-level encryption to protect your funds.
Chip’s free withdrawal policy will be exciting for college students, as the last thing you want is to pay any charges for being financially prudent. You can use ChipLite for free, but the premium and exclusive versions, ChipAI and ChipX, cost £1.50 and £3 monthly.
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2. PocketGuard
PocketGuard is the app for anybody who wants easy-to-interpret information about their finances. The app’s pie chart style of representing your expense categories takes the cake (excuse the pun) from a design perspective.
If you can’t be bothered to check the fine details and want to see your financial breakdown at a glance, use PocketGuard. The app offers you a dashboard with a detailed breakdown of your expenses and which project, payment, or bill takes up specific chunks of your money.
For $4.99 monthly, you can restructure your spending to fit your student loans.
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3. EveryDollar
Use EveryDollar if you want to pay off or stay away from debt. The app lets you assign due dates to recurring expenses, eliminating the stress of remembering them. You can use that brainpower to study and make good grades.
Additionally, you can set reminders or save funds every month for professional help with your assignments. Hire a cheap essay writer from a trusted academic writing service, and don’t worry about your homework.
EveryDollar uses a zero-based approach to budgeting. This system categorizes “every dollar” you expect to earn in a month into a budget, ensuring that there is no loose change. This strict approach and its hands-on budgeting method will cost you $9.99 monthly if you decide to continue using the app after its two-week trial period.
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4. Goodbudget
Goodbudget makes this list because of its versatility and ability to share financial information with others. The app takes accountability seriously — a concept many college students need to build.
This app is for you if you spend from a collective purse with a sibling, roommate, or friend. You can budget for that academic writing help you require for your project and hire EssayService, a top graduate paper writing service for students. The app will handle the bulk work and tell you how much leisure spending you can afford.
The free version should cover most of your needs, but if you need to remove specific limits, you can pay $7 monthly for Goodbudget Plus.
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5. Mint
This app is more than a budget monitor because it includes an automatic save feature with spending recommendations. It also has multi-factor authentication and bank-grade encryption to protect your savings from online criminals.
Mint’s approach of linking with your bank account to reduce the need to manually input numbers will help you channel the extra time to your studies. An affordable $4.99 monthly for Mint Premium gives you net worth, loan, travel, and retirement calculators.
With this app, you’ll never lose sight of your credit score. The only downside is that Mint isn’t yet available on the Android platform.
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6. Wally
If you are an international student or operate a foreign bank account, download Wally immediately. The app syncs with over 15,000 banks using over 200 currencies. It also lets you ditch the auto-saving feature, giving you complete control over your transaction records.
This strategy may not appeal to everyone because it makes you do more work than the other apps on this list. But you also get to understand your spending patterns and notice reckless financial habits faster with the manual system. Throw in bill reminders and a group feature, and its $4.49 monthly fee seems like a steal.
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7. Splitwise
Are you in charge of a class project or a social event and need to manage the budget, especially with many people contributing? If yes, Splitwise is an excellent tool for your needs. It gives you a breakdown of how much your endeavor will cost.
The app will come in handy on outings where you want to split the bill. And since you can share the details with others, contributors can see precisely how much they need to pay.
So, if you never thought you’d need an app when on a date, Splitwise will change your mind.
For $3 per month, you get receipt scanning, currency conversion, expense search, and other features in the pro version.
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8. Cleo
Cleo makes budgeting straightforward by simplifying your financial details. Instead of cluttering your head with numbers, the app’s AI recommends financial decisions, rounds up purchases, and helps you build credit.
Cleo is the most interactive app on this list. The interface is the most exciting and trendy and will attract artsy students. You can set aside $5.99 for the premium version.
And by the way, Cleo has a unique Roast mode that shares highlighted humor with users. You should check it out.
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To Sum Up
As a student, the best time to start budgeting is now. The top budgeting apps give you a comprehensive view of your finances, recommend intelligent actions, and automate transaction records without leaving your accounts vulnerable. So try out some options on this list and settle for the ones that meet your needs.