Managing a personal budget is a major daily concern. Many digital tools exist today to simplify this chore. Here is a selection of applications to control your expenses and consult your bank account in real time.
Online services are increasingly popular for easy accounts. Say goodbye to paper statements or tedious Excel spreadsheets, make way for dematerialized budget management! And specialized apps or sites have many benefits to offer. They allow you to quickly know the state of your bank account, and to take advantage of a longer-term vision by categorizing the expenses of each month. Here are some tools to use alone or in a complementary way, on mobile or on the web.
Bankin: la the most complete solution to manage a buget
Created in 2011, banking has millions of users in Europe. Thanks to its efficient functionalities and its clear interface, the application – available free of charge on iOS and Android – is one of the best complements to the tools made available by banking establishments. Bankin also claims to be an independent actor.
The application comes down to five uses, which are quite sufficient for daily accounts: categorization of expenses, a “Budget” option to anticipate the amount remaining on the account until the end of the month, a coach to learn how to better manage your money, tracking of savings using graphs, and the possibility of making transfers (available for around ten brands).
Linxo: flexible budget management
Linxo is positioned in the same line as Bankin, with an easy-to-understand layout and basic features to control your budget day after day. Classification of expenses, consolidation of several accounts, consultation of the balance, search for transactions and monitoring of savings are some of its main uses. With added value: a web version that gives access to additional graphics compared to the application. Application which can also be downloaded on iOS, Android and even Windows Store for more accessibility.
Linxo is a free tool, which also has a Premium version for creating your own expense categories or subscribing to extended warranties when making large purchases.
Fastoche: un coach and follow-up of social assistance
Beyond simple budget management, Fastoche focuses on the social aspects of French people’s spending and on the end of the month, regardless of income. The application allows you to connect your bank account to get a real overview of the “rest to live” and avoid overdraft situations. Expenses are visible on a calendar to better anticipate the weeks to come, and a counter gives a quick glance at the state of the bank account by means of a color code.
Fastoche also offers a free coaching service, without judgment and independent of banks: a robot available all day to provide solutions. The other good point is the possibility of requesting a simulation of rights to social assistance: Pôle Emploi, Family allowances, Health insurance, etc. Fastoche, on the other hand, requires a subscription at 0.99 euros per month.
Budgi: uapp to control your travel budget
Special leisure, special application. Occasional travel enthusiasts as well as seasoned globetrotters will find what they are looking for by downloading Budgi before packing their bags. Developed through a crowdfunding operation, the application allows you to define a budget not to be exceeded during a trip, whatever its duration. Real-time expense summary, purchase categorization, currency converter, notifications and statistics are its main features. Available only on iOS at the moment, Budgi is free to download and can be used even without an Internet connection: perfect for remote vacation spots where the network is lacking.
Banking services: thebank application for simplified management
What if the best expense management tool was a banking app? According to the 2017 BVA-FBF Banking Image Observatory, 8 out of 10 French people consult their account on the Internet. Online services and applications created by the banks themselves allow you to check your balance, track the various withdrawals and expenses, and send transfers. They also give access to other functions more specific to the establishment, such as the possibility of contacting their adviser, modifying a credit card limit, subscribing to a new product, or ordering a check book. To be used alone or in parallel with another application to control expenses and maintain a link with your bank.