Having a budget is foundational to your financial wellness.
It’s the best way to make sure you have money for the things you need and the goals you set, as well as the things you want.
Budgets are like the New Year’s resolutions of personal finance. We all know we should have one, but they’re tough to stick to. Like resolutions, we often map out personal budgets with the best of intentions, only to abandon them a couple of weeks later. If this is you, try using a budgeting app! Here are three we recommend:
| YNAB You Need a Budget |
EveryDollar Dave Ramsey |
|
|---|---|---|
| Cost | $14.99/month or $109/year | free or $79.99/year |
| Account aggregation (automatic transaction tracking) | ✔ | paid version only |
| Investment monitoring | ✔ | |
| Goal tracking | ✔ | paid version only |
| Debt pay down | ✔ | ✔ |
Any of these apps can simplify starting your budget. And for the easiest ongoing budgeting, link your accounts for automatic spending tracking. These apps allow you to more clearly see where each dollar goes. Your budget shouldn’t make you feel guilty about spending money, it should make you feel confident in what you can spend while still sticking to your goals.
Kalsee is not affiliated with YNAB or EveryDollar. Information is accurate as of 7/7/2025.