A new month means we’re simplifying a new topic. This month, we’re tackling a BIG one. Finances. That one little word can send so many women running the opposite direction as fast as they can, but managing your finances doesn’t have to be such a daunting task! When we take the time to sit down, make a plan, and tell our money where to go, we begin to learn that it doesn’t have to be so overwhelming. Simplifying is key. So this month, we asked a few incredible women (seriously – these women are amazing!) four questions centered around simplifying their finances. We wanted to ask women who are relatable (to women in all different seasons of life), knowledgeable, and genuinely have a heart for helping others succeed. Their responses were so insightful, and we can’t wait to share them with you over the next several weeks. Today, they’re sharing their favorite apps + systems for helping keep their family on track when it comes to budgeting and finances. Here’s what they said:
“We actually invested in a financial advisor about 4 years ago! In between annual meetings, we set budget/savings goals and use mainly cash for everything outside of bills.” –Lacoya Heggie, wife, mama, and founder of Hello Love Events
“I have this easy-to-use, free budgeting app, EveryDollar, on my phone that makes budgeting so much easier. So when I’m shopping, I can just look at my EveryDollar app, see my budget, and see how much money I have left to spend for the month.” – Rachel Cruze, wife, mama, author, and finance guru
“We have always been big fan’s of Dave Ramsey’s budgeting plan and have stuck to it for almost 12 years of marriage now. We also love Mint.com to help track spending.” – Shay Cochrane, wife, mama to two sweet girls, and photographer extraordinaire
“I’m not just saying this because it’s our app, but EveryDollar is seriously hands-down the most beautiful and easy-to-use solution for budgeting. It’s so fun to use that it makes me actually want to check my budget more often, and with my tendency to overspend, that’s a good thing!” – Christy Wright, wife, boy mama, speaker, and author of Business Boutique
“I’ve used You Need A Budget in the past and liked it, but honestly my favorite thing to do is sit down with paper and a pen and write out all of our expenses for the month before my husband and I get paid. I put together a plan for how to spend every single dollar that month (general categories like groceries, gas, entertainment and all recurring expenses like the water and electricity bills) and then Matt and I have a budget meeting together. We went through Dave Ramsey’s Financial Peace (which I highly recommend) and so we plan how every dollar is spent before we get it. Then, I plug our final decisions for the month into an Excel spreadsheet and plan accordingly for the payments.” – Heather Adams, wife, mama, and co-founder of Choice Media and Communications
“EveryDollar” – Kerry Gardner, wife, dog mama, and publicist extraordinaire
“www.mint.com (online and the app)- I absolutely LOVE it! My husband and I sit down at the beginning of the month and go through all expenditures/savings needs/goals and determine the budget for that month. Then, I go into Mint and plug in all the numbers. It helps so much with tracking expenses, noting when money deducts, watching your budgets. The downside to using Mint is that it requires significant work on your end, too. But, once you get going with it, it becomes easier and easier to manage.” – Beth Gebhard, wife, mama to 2, and co-founder of Choice Media and Communications
