I’ve been thinking about getting serious with budgeting. My wife is disabled and has been struggling with chronic illness for years. We mostly live off one income, and this has brought some financial challenges. We’re still living paycheck to paycheck, but we’re looking into ways to improve our finances. Can anyone recommend a free budgeting tool? I haven’t used spreadsheets before, but I know they’re common. About 10 years ago, I used Mvelopes, and it was my favorite for automatically tracking bank transactions.
The EveryDollar app is pretty good 
I use Excel now, but if you need help setting up a spreadsheet, just let me know.
Gale said:
The EveryDollar app is pretty good
I’ll keep that in mind! Thanks for the suggestion!
Gale said:
The EveryDollar app is pretty good
I’ll keep that in mind! Thanks for the suggestion!
I totally understand what you’re going through. I was unable to work for eight years because of a chronic illness. It was really tough, so I empathize with your situation. I wish you both the best and hope things start looking up.
@Gale
Wow… thank you for the kind words. I really appreciate that. Wishing you well too.
Gale said:
The EveryDollar app is pretty good
I’d love to help you set up an Excel spreadsheet if you’ve got the time. Just let me know!
Are you open to manually tracking your budget? I built an envelope budget app for mobile and tablet, and it’s a one-time purchase. You can use it offline too. If you’re interested, I can extend your trial to help out. Also, Goodbudget is another free app with an envelope budgeting system that might be worth a look.
@Xander
That’s interesting! I’m not totally against manual entry. Does it work for iPhones?
Joss said:
@Xander
That’s interesting! I’m not totally against manual entry. Does it work for iPhones?
Yes, it works for both Android and iOS. The app is called Centsible. Let me know if you have any questions!
@Xander
Great! Does it also work on iPads? And what’s the cost for it?
Joss said:
@Xander
Great! Does it also work on iPads? And what’s the cost for it?
Yes, it works on iPads too. It’s a one-time purchase of $99. That’s a lot less than many other apps that charge monthly or annually. The purchase also includes two years of device syncing. If you need syncing after that, it’s only $12 a year. I can also offer you a year-long free trial if you want to try it out first.
@Xander
That sounds fair in the long run! I’d love to try out your app, especially with the extended trial.
Joss said:
@Xander
That sounds fair in the long run! I’d love to try out your app, especially with the extended trial.
Awesome! Just download it from the link above and let me know when you’re set up. I’ll extend your trial. And yes, you and your wife can share one login for syncing across devices.
@Xander
Thanks! I’ll give it a try and get back to you.
I can’t fully understand your struggles, but I know how difficult things can get. I believe having a good budgeting app could really help. I developed an app called Fina, and while it’s not free by default, I’d be happy to offer you free access to the essential tier. If you’re interested, I’ll send you a code through a private message.
@Briar
In case you missed it, here’s the code: FINACARE. Just select the essential tier, and you’re good to go!
Good Steward is completely free and allows you to manually import transactions. It’s based on an older app called Actual Budget but has been improved in a lot of ways. It’s worth a try if you prefer a more proactive budgeting approach.
@Terryanne
Isn’t envelope budgeting considered proactive too?
Darin said:
@Terryanne
Isn’t envelope budgeting considered proactive too?
It is, but we focus more on planning for the entire year ahead. Envelope budgeting is great for controlling spending, but some people find it a bit restrictive.
@Terryanne
That sounds like a really helpful feature!