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The best apps for budgeting and saving in Australia in 2022.

Best apps for budgeting and saving in 2022
17 May 2022 Read time: 5 min

We live in a tech-centric world where apps tell us when to wake, when to stand, how many steps to take and how to get there. So if you’re ready to bring your household budget and spending habits into the 21st century, we’ve got you covered with a round up of the best apps for budgeting and saving.

Our round up includes apps that are highly intuitive, easy-to-use and have been specifically designed for Australians in 2022.

See our updated list of apps for 2023 here.

 

The best apps for budgeting and saving.

Here is Kearney Group’s list of the best apps for budgeting and saving in Australia in 2022.

  1. Pocketbook  ⚠️
  2. Frollo
  3. MoneyBrilliant
  4. ATO App
  5. The surprise contender…

With so many budgeting apps to help you set goals, save, track your expenses and generally manage your money – it’s time to put down your pen and step away from that dusty shoebox of receipts. It’s time to have a closer look into each of the best budgeting apps.

Pocketbook.

⚠️ Important Pocketbook Closure. Sadly Pocketbook was wound up on 5 August 2022. If you had a Pocketbook account, the last date to access your account was 4 August 2022. Following this date, Pocketbook deleted all personal information. You are no longer able to download or log in to the app. See our updated list of the best budgeting and savings apps for 2023.

Pocketbook is a free budgeting app that is suitable if you want to take control of your money and get some transparency into your day-to-day spending. You don’t need to be an experienced financial guru to get this app to work for you.

In a nutshell, Pocketbook:

  • Securely links over 30 bank accounts and tracks spending – all in one place.
  • Analyses your spending by category – so you know where your money’s really going. This helps you see how much you’re spending on those little sneaky expenses like coffees on the run or impulse purchases you sometimes forget about or downplay.
  • Keeps track and provides reminders when your bills are due or direct debits are coming out of your account.
  • Allows you to set short-term and long-term saving goals and provides you with tips and tricks along the way to get you there faster.
  • Provides you with daily, weekly, and monthly spending reports – whichever suits you and your budgeting goals.
  • Is available to download for free via the Apple App Store or Google Play.

Frollo.

For the more sophisticated budgeter who’s looking for that next level of financial insight, Frollo is great. It’s a more advanced budgeting app and money management tool that provides you with a detailed summary of all your money matters – from credit cards to superannuation – in one central place.

In a nutshell, Frollo:

  • Provides a central ‘hub’ to keep track of your bank accounts, investment portfolios, super accounts, overseas accounts and even loyalty points.
  • Provides near real-time data to customers from over 100 participating banks.
  • Monitors and identifies your spending habits in ‘harder-to-monitor’ areas like your Buy Now Pay Later, credit card and payday loan liabilities. By highlighting all your spending habits, you can quickly identify where your overspend might be occurring or where you could cut back.
  • Provides automatic purchase categorisation.
  • Helps manage invoice management with its bill tracking feature so you can’t forget to pay utilities and or regular payments.
  • Provides a ‘Frollo score’ as an incentive by giving you a financial health score between 1 and 1,000.
  • Encourages you to set your own budget, savings challenges and goals which are supported by prompts and notifications.
  • Is available to download for free via the Apple App Store or Google Play.

MoneyBrilliant.

Looking for something a little more comprehensive and robust to handle the complexities that often come with money?

MoneyBrilliant is next-level money management, which not only allows you to track your spend, but also monitor debt (think mortgage, car loans, credit cards etc).

In a nutshell, MoneyBrilliant:

  • Lets you to track all your expenses as well as your assets and liabilities in one place: bank accounts, superannuation, investments, properties, vehicles, cash, credit cards, loans, mortgages and more!
  • Connects to almost 500 different institutions and data sources.
  • Allows you to work out how much you can spend on any given day without going beyond your set budget and ‘must pays’ using its ‘Safe Spending’ feature. No more overspending and having nothing left for direct debits or bills!
  • Provides new users with a free 30-day trial of its MoneyBrilliant Plus plan. If you like the plan, you have the option to stay with it or move to the free basic plan. The paid-for-version gives you access to tax-related options including the ability to keep track of tax-deductible expenses and highlight some you might not have known about. Great for those who work for themselves or predominantly from home.
  • The Basic plan is available to download for free via the Apple App Store or Google Play.
  • For those wanting to up the ante on your money management, you can download the Plus plan which costs $9.90 per month or $99 per year.

ATO App.

No, the ATO App doesn’t allow you to budget or link to your bank accounts. But it does let you access and manage your tax, deductible expenses and super accounts on the go. It also has a range of tools and calculators that help you ensure your tax returns are correct before they’re lodged.

In a nutshell, the ATO app:

  • Lets you login securely with voice or facial recognition.
  • Allows you to record and manage your work-related expenses and upload them to your tax return via myDeductions.
  • Helps you work out how much tax to withhold, what tax you might get back or need to pay at financial year end.
  • Allows you to keep track of your super balance, find any lost super and consolidate your accounts.
  • Gives you access to your annual tax return, tax account, super account/s, lodgement and payment dates, ABN details etc.
  • Lets you set reminders for important dates.
  • Provides you with access to a number of other tax-related tools and information by linking your myGov account to the ATO.
  • Is available to download for free via the Apple App Store or Google Play.

The surprise contender… your bank.

It’s easy to overlook the most obvious solution when it’s right in front of you… That said: have you checked your bank’s mobile app?

Beyond making basic payments and transfers, a quick scroll through your banking app may unearth a range of tools to help you with budgeting and forming better money management habits.

As fintechs scramble for market dominance, many banks have hopped on board – looking to offer their customers the latest and greatest in technology. Whilst their app mightn’t be ‘the best app’ or have all the bells and whistles, one thing’s certain: banks are cashed up and they’re spending lots on development right now to keep their place as market leaders.

So why no hop into your existing banking app? It’s a great place to see what’s available before purchasing a more sophisticated tool – especially if you’re not going to need or use all the functionality.

If your bank does have an app but you’re still not sure it’s what you’re after, there’s no harm in calling them to see what budgeting app they’d recommend for your needs.

Where to now?

Still wondering if one of the apps above is right for you?

Our list of the best apps for budgeting and saving is a great place to start. Have a hunt around and explore these suggestions as a starting place. At the end of the day, you’ll need to decide what’s right for you and your short-term and long-term financial goals. Everyone’s needs are different, and there’ll never be a one-size-fits-all solution. But what you will discover as you start your money management journey is that your needs and understanding will grow and evolve as your wealth and assets change.

The first step is the most important step: get started! Start budgeting and actively managing your money. It’s a positive challenge to set yourself. And – now you know there’s an app for that.

Where to next?

Looking for some help with budgeting, saving and cashflow management?

Our award-winning Private Wealth team beats any app out there.

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