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Courtesy of TaxCredits.net

Learning to Manage a Budget

Learning how to properly budget is crucial, especially for new homeowners and families. It’s important to set realistic goals for paying off your mortgage, projects around the house and overall spending habits. Being proactive in organizing expenses can help to avoid getting in the mindset of “it’ll get done eventually.” The digital age and advancements in technology have simplified the budgeting process. Here are a few free resources to guide you in the right direction toward healthy budgeting and spending.

Mint.com

Simply put, Mint.com has it all. From budgeting, to categorized breakdowns of spending habits, to investment tracking, Mint provides the complete financial planning package. Users can connect bank accounts, credit cards and loans as they see fit to track user-determined goals for spending and saving. With as much as Mint has to offer, it’s still surprisingly easy to navigate, allowing users to maximize their budgeting and saving needs. Whether you’re at home or on the go, Mint is available whenever you need it and updates automatically. For those interested in tracking their day-to-day spending habits alongside longterm investment and loan goals, Mint.com is your go-to resource.

Level Money

With Level Money, a mobile app for both Android and iOS platforms, budgeting is tracked on a daily basis. After entering your monthly income, bills, savings and other expenses, Level Money calculates the amount you can spend on a daily, weekly and monthly basis. The app updates automatically with every purchase, providing a live projection of your allowed spending. Level Money also features digestible graphs and breakdowns of where your money is going. This app has a simple yet attractive design, and its easy-to-use platform is perfect for those looking to change daily spending habits.

Microsoft Excel Budget Template

Tools like Mint.com and Level Money are great, but they’re not for everyone. For those who’d rather avoid tracking financial information online, the Microsoft Excel “Simple Monthly Budget” template is the perfect resource. It’s free to download and saves you the time (and frustration) of creating your own spreadsheet. The Simple Monthly Budget template takes it one step further by creating visual representations of your monthly spending using charts and graphs. It’s customizable, safe and secure to help make the best of your budget.

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