Four cash-saving apps to help you budget and keep track of your finances

BUDGETING is at the heart of healthy finances.

But the days of using pen and paper to keep track are long gone in this era of the smart phone.

Try these apps instead . . . 

SNOOP: Link your bank accounts and credits cards via this app, which then highlights opportunities to save.

For example, it might see you can save by switching to a new energy provider. There are also alerts to help you stay on track with spending.

The app is free, but you can upgrade for extra features at £4.99 a month.

EMMA: View all your accounts, including credit cards and pensions, through this app, which categorises your spending and lets you set budgets to track progress and find savings.

The financial management tool is free, but you can upgrade for extra features, such as bill reminders, on different plans that cost up to £14.99 a month.

PLUM: Through the app you can use a spending tracker which breaks down your expenses by category.

Plum will also work out how much you can afford to save every few days and automatically set it aside for you.

The standard version is free but there are then different paid-for versions, costing up to £9.99 a month.

BANKING APPS: Banks are offering more and more budgeting features within current accounts and the linked apps.

Explore what your provider is offering and consider swapping if you can get more help elsewhere.

Many offer spending alerts or limits, which can keep you within budget.

For example, digital bank Monzo offers real-time spending updates, and categorises transactions.

The “trends”; feature visualises spending habits and tracks progress against targets.

You can also set up “pots”; for specific savings goals.

Or NatWest has a spending and budget tracker that categorises your outgoings and lets you set budgets to help you keep a closer eye on finances.

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