Budgeting apps can help take the guesswork out of monthly spending

Here are some apps that can help automate the tracking of your spending and offer a big picture view of how you are doing when it comes to your financial goals.

TORONTO -- Before Jordann Brown downloaded Mint, a free budgeting app, her attempts to aggressively pay down debt were hindered each month by unexpected expenses that would throw off her budget.

"Mint helped me build a cushion in my cash savings to ride out those financial ups and downs," she said. "The app has definitely helped me stay on track with my monthly budget, which in turn has helped me meet my major financial goals, like becoming debt-free and saving an emergency fund."

The 31-year-old Halifax-based content manager at Zolo.ca says that for those struggling to meet their financial goals or keep their spending under control, a budgeting app can be an excellent tool to use.

Budgeting apps can help automate the tracking of your spending and offer a big picture view of how you are doing when it comes to your financial goals.

Aashti Vijh, a 29-year-old senior communications and marketing specialist at Ratehub.ca in Toronto, uses the pro version of the budgeting app Dollarbird, which costs around $40 per year. She started using the app in late 2017 after moving out of her parents' place.

"I realized I didn't really know where my money was going every month. I knew I was generally within a budget, but I didn't know specifically, for instance, how much money I was spending on buying lunches at work or what percentage of my income was going towards rent," she said.