You Need a Budget: This app is designed to help you get out of debt and stop living paycheck-to-paycheck - but it takes a long time to set up, has an elaborate interface, and costs $11.99 per month.Other apps that didn't make the cut and why The Personal Finance team tested nearly a dozen apps for over two weeks, and we ultimately decided on our top picks based on factors like pricing and easy-to-use interfaces, and we examined whether each app accomplished everything it advertised. We included a checkmark under each publication name if it recommended an app in its roundup. Each publication has different categories and methodologies for identifying the 'best' budgeting apps. Keep in mind that websites categorize their budget app lists in different ways. To help you make a decision, we've compared our top budgeting app picks with lists from other publications. Research is an important part of choosing a budgeting app that fits your needs, and Business Insider isn't the only website looking for the best apps. Instead, it's available through Facebook Messenger, or you can sign up via email. Trim is also not downloadable as an app on the Apple or Google Play store. If you plan to change your internet, cable, phone, or wireless provider in the next year, you could actually end up losing money. Look out for: When Trim negotiates a bill, you pay 15% of whatever it will save you for the year in one lump sum. If you agree to Trim's proposed bill negotiations, you'll pay 15% of what Trim saves you in a year in one lump sum. This feature could potentially save you hundreds of dollars in a year, which you can then put toward other expenses, save, or invest. Trim's most unique feature is Bill Negotiation - the app analyzes your internet, phone, cable, and wireless bills and determines whether you can get the same service with the company for a lower price. Why it stands out: Trim analyzes your bills and spending habits and reveals where in your budget you can save money. You do have the ability to reassign the transaction to another category within the app or create your own category. Look out for: Occasionally, Mint will place a transaction in one category (like transportation) when it should actually be in a different category (like bills). In addition to showing your income, expenses, and savings goals, it also displays factors like your credit score, investments, and net worth. Mint is easy to use and helpful for understanding your finances on a large scale. Create a goal, including your estimated costs and timeline, and Mint factors the plan into your budget. Mint makes it easy to save for multiple goals. You can easily change the settings yourself or create a new category - so Mint does all the hard work for you, but you still have some control. The app splits your expenses into categories such as shopping, bills, and transportation. Link your bank accounts to Mint for the app to create a budget based on your past spending habits. Why it stands out: The Mint app is owned by Intuit, the financial software company that also owns TurboTax and Quickbooks.

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