I’ve gotta admit that I wasn’t a big fan of Mint. That is, until I got the iPhone 4S in October and downloaded the free Mint app for iPhone.
One of the things I was excited about when getting a smartphone for the first time (which I would consider an expensive toy and generally a money-loser) is that I’d at least be able to find some ways to save money using my phone.
Since I feel tracking spending is a big part of managing finances, I’ve been very pleased using the Mint App on my iPhone. The App itself is very sleek and easy to use. Here are the features of the app that I use the most.
Enter Cash Expenses on the Go
My favorite feature of the Mint App is the ability to add cash expenses on the spot. To me, the hardest part of tracking my spending is keeping up with where I spend cash after I take it out of the ATM. With the Mint iPhone app, I log cash purchases immediately after leaving a store or restaurant. In less than 30 seconds, I can log the amount of a purchase, the category it goes in, and where the purchase took place. No more waiting until I get home to log it into my spreadsheet.
Check Account Balances
Another feature I like about the Mint App is the ability to check different account balances on the fly. I can check all my bank, debit, and investment balances on my phone since Mint syncs with all of these accounts. I’ve simplified a bit since I’ve stopped using credit cards for now, but if I do go back to using credit, it will be great to see all those balances in one place, too.
Check In on Budgets
With the Mint App I can also see how I’m doing in terms of my monthly budgets in each category. I haven’t taken a whole lot of time to set up budgets yet, but I can see this being handy when deciding what to spend while I’m out. You can view your budget and spending in chart form if that’s helpful for you too. There’s also a news feed within the app to tel you if there’s errors with your accounts or if you’re over budget in a certain category.
One complaint by me (and many others out there) is that you can’t split transactions you enter on the mobile app. That’s a little disappointing, but it probably affects less than 10% of my transactions anyway. Plus, you can always go back later and update transactions online instead.
All said, the Mint mobile app has made me a loyal Mint user now! Using Mint is probably the best combination of easy and effective budgeting.
Do you use the Mint app? Is there another mobile app you use instead?
p.s – I’m interested in financial mobile apps, so I think I’ll review a few more on here. If you have any you’d like to see, let me know.
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photo from smashingapps.com
I use Mint’s mobile app, but I am interested in trying out the app the team at Adaptu is putting together too.
I mainly just use it to categorize expenses to kill time or to input cash expenses right when they happen (otherwise I will forget to do it).
With all the traveling recently we don’t really have “budgets” set, but I see myself using that when we get back to normal schedules.
I’ve been wondering when we’re gonna see that Adaptu app!
I think the categories save me a ton of time versus using a spreadsheet. I’m not sure if Mint can automatically suggest a budget for me based on past spending, but I’ll have to look and see.
You can set up “rules” in Mint, but they never seem to work for me.
We currently use Quicken at home. I love it accept it’s lack of portability. We did look into Mint but it doesn’t have all of the functions Quicken has. If they ever invent a mobile Quicken I will be all over it.
I’m surprised they don’t have one already!
I use Mint to track expenses. My favorite part has to be the alerts. I like being reminded when I’ve got over budget on dining out or entertainment…areas where it’s easy to get carried away.
Yeah, I’ve found the alerts handy, too. I like the alerts for paying bills myself.
I had the Mint app on my iPhone 1G, but didn’t use it much because the operating system was too slow. I’ll have to give it another go now that I’m on the 3G and see if it’s useful.
I bank with USAA and I love their app. It alerts me if my balance gets too low, and I can deposit my checks by photo. Seriously handy.
I also use the USAA app! Very convenient and easy to use, although I will say I’m using the Mint app more than the USAA app now since I can just check my USAA balance on Mint.