The best money saving apps can help you save money, regardless of your starting point. All you need for these easy-to-use money saving apps is a checking account and a smartphone. Each app has its own style and strategies to help you save money. But basically, they’re designed to inspire you to get into the rhythm of saving without thinking too much about it.
Remember, you’ll need to share your banking information with these listed money savings apps (unless it’s your bank, too). Also, make sure your checking account has a buffer of more than a few dollars. You don’t want to risk accidentally overdrawing your account.
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Best 8 Money Saving Apps For 2022 With Bonus
1. Digit
Digit is an automatic money savings app that analyzes what goes in and out of your checking account. It then regularly transfers amounts from the checking to the savings account that the algorithms deem safe.
Digit is a good option for those who see themselves as spenders, not savers, and like to outsource decisions.
After a 30-day free trial, Digit charges its subscribers $5 per month. For that fee, you get the automatic savings feature, as well as the ability to use the app to pay down credit card debt and set savings goals. You can get an annual savings bonus of 0.1 percent, which Digit pays out every three months – a benefit that can offset some of the subscription fee.
If Digit determines that you have no money to spare, nothing will be withdrawn until you are in a safer position to save. If Digit inadvertently causes an overdraft, up to two amounts will be refunded. You can also opt for overdraft prevention.
It takes one to three business days to transfer money back to your checking account. If you need the money immediately, you can pay 99 cents to have the money returned to your checking account within 30 minutes.
Your money is held at FDIC-insured banks, so you are protected up to $250,000.
Best for: Outsourcing savings decisions.
Cost: Free for 30 days, $5 per month thereafter.
2. Qapital
Qapital is also one of the money saving apps designed to help you effortlessly save small amounts of money, but with a twist: You can set up rules for saving. For example, you can set up a guilty pleasure rule so that the app puts money into your savings every time you buy something to take home. Like some investment apps, Qapital can also round up your change and add that money to your savings. For example, if you buy a $4.50 latte with a debit card, the app will deduct 50 cents from your checking account and transfer it to your savings account. You can also set a rule to make the round-ups larger.
The app is often praised for its visual approach, which is based on goals. You can attach photos to your goals, so the portal acts like a digital vision board for your money.
To use the app, you have several options: You can link an existing checking account or sign up for a Qapital debit card. You can also use Qapital to invest in an ETF portfolio for your longer-term goals. The products you receive depend on the plan you pay for.
Best for: those who are motivated by visualizing their goals.
Cost: The basic plan starts at $3 per month, there are other tiered plans. You can try it for free for 30 days.
3. Long Game
Long Game tries to divert some of the money you spend on lottery tickets into savings. On this money app, users who save money have a chance to win extra money. The more one saves, the more chances one has to play games and win more money. The account is FDIC-insured, and you do not play with your principal or the money you deposited with Long Game. The app also pays 0.1 percent interest on your balance.
You can also set up a rule in the app to save money on payday. it is one of the money saving apps ranked in 3rd in our list of the best saving apps.
If you like the thrill of a lottery and saving money should be fun, you should try this app.
Best suited for: A game-like experience.
Cost: Free of charge.
4. Chimes
Chime, a digital-only brand, has attracted millions of customers since its launch in 2014. It offers bank accounts that include several automatic savings features.
When you transfer your direct deposits to your Chime account, you can also set a rule for Chime to transfer a percentage of your paycheck to your savings account. A round-up option is also available to increase savings.
Like other challenger banks, Chime does not manage your bank deposits – it’s not technically a bank. Its partner, The Bancorp Bank, manages your deposits. You also earn some interest on your savings. it is one of the money saving apps ranked in 4th in our list of the best saving apps.
Best for: Anyone who wants to save their spare change with their banking app.
Cost: Free banking app.
5. Current
Current is another newer digital brand that offers a variety of financial health tools through a mobile banking app. If you are a customer, you can set up savings goals (or “pods,” as Current calls them) to automatically set aside money for your chosen goal, such as a rainy day or a vacation. You can also transfer money directly to your savings pod. it is one of the money saving apps ranked in 5th in our list of the best saving apps.
Best for: Young adults looking for a banking alternative.
Cost: Free basic checking account.
6. Acorns
If you already have nest eggs and want to take some risk, you should invest. Acorns is one of the more popular apps that deposits your spare change into an investment account.
Once you link a debit or credit card to the fintech app, Acorns rounds up your purchases to the nearest dollar and invests the change in a diversified investment portfolio based on your goals. You can also set up a recurring transfer to Acorns. it is one of the money saving apps ranked in 6th in our list of the best saving apps.
Best suited for: Newcomers.
Cost: Starting at $1 per month for Acorns Invest.
7. Mint
Mint organizes and monitors your accounts, all in one place. You can link all your different bank and credit card accounts, as well as all the loans and investments you have.
With Mint’s program you’ll be able to create a complete financial portrait that will give you an overview of your finances, so you know how to best manage them. You’ll also be able to set up special notifications so you do not miss a bill and monitor your subscriptions regularly. You can even receive a notification when the cost of one of your regular subscriptions increases. it is one of the money saving apps ranked in 7th in our list of the best saving apps.
With the ability to create customized budgets, you can track and improve your overall spending and debt. Besides, it’s free and funded by partners.
Best suited for: Financial newbies.
Cost: Free.
8. Qoins
Qoins claims to have helped its customers pay off loans two to seven years early while saving an average of $3,200 in interest. With Qoins, you set a financial goal when you sign up so you know exactly how much you need to set aside each month. After that, Qoins helps you make small transfers throughout the month that count towards your total debt. Since they are smaller transfers, your daily banking will be less burdened, since you will not have to transfer large amounts of money every time you make a deposit.
Even if you do not have any debt, Qoins is great for building up your savings. It can help you pay off loans faster and improve your credit score with minimal effort. it is one of the money saving apps ranked in 8th in our list of the best saving apps.
Best suited for: Individuals who have debt.
Cost: $2.99-$4.99 per month.
Bonus: Best Money Tracker
All of the above apps are great ways to save or invest without having to put in any extra effort. However, in order to save larger amounts of money, you need to figure out where your money is going and take some responsibility. While there are many different apps that offer this feature, none come close to Personal Capital.
You can link all of your accounts in one place, including checking accounts, credit cards, and even investments. Personal Capital also lets you analyze your investments in a sophisticated way: You can check how well your portfolio is performing and find out if you’re paying unnecessary fees. It’s something like an accountant and a budgeting app in one.
The basic platform is free, but there’s a fee for professional advice from financial experts if your portfolio is worth $100,000 or more.
FAQs
1. What Are different Types of Money Saving Apps Available?
There are different types of money saving apps, and they all work in different ways.
- Cashback and coupon apps work as soon as you link your account to a credit card you use to make purchases, or alternatively you can scan receipts or make purchases through the portal.
- Savings and investment apps give you a brand new card that lets you automatically deposit your spare change or paycheck into a savings or investment account.
- Savings apps require you to enter all your bills into the app so they can be tracked for you.
- Investment apps help you invest your saved money in different companies to grow your savings.
Depending on the features offered and the model of the app, they may be free or charge a fee. Bill saving apps like Truebill charge a commission for the savings made, while cashback apps are always free but make money from advertising.
2. Is there an Money Saving Apps that saves your change?
Apps that round up purchases to the nearest dollar and save or invest the excess change have gained popularity in recent years. Many different money saving apps now offer this feature, including Acorns, Stash, Varo and Chime.
However, this list isn’t exhaustive, and it’s likely that more apps will introduce this feature in the future to meet the demand.
3. Which Money Saving App is Right For You?
Even if you’re the world’s worst budget planner, you can save money as long as you’ve a smartphone. All you need to do is download a few apps and do some basic management tasks before you can passively earn some extra money.
If you can’t afford to save and just need some extra cash to fill your pockets, a cashback or bill pay app can seemingly give you something for free. All you’ve to do is link your card or bills, and the app will check if you qualify for discounts or lower rates.
If you want to save or invest but are tempted to spend the money instead, there are apps that automatically set aside the change from your purchases to help you reach your goals.
However, don’t fall into the trap of thinking that downloading apps is enough to create a solid financial management plan. In reality, that’s just the first step: keeping a budget and monitoring your spending are just as important as ever. Luckily, there’s an app for that, too.
Save money with apps
If you are having a hard time building up a savings balance, using an app that does it for you automatically can be a good first step. Getting into the habit of setting aside some money regularly – and watching your balance grow and add up – can help you successfully manage your income and expenses. (Read more about how compound interest works.) Once you have some money set aside, you can take the next step and open or deposit a regular savings account.
4. How to Open a Savings Account?
If you do not already have a savings account, you can open one by submitting an application, either online or at a bank branch. You’ll need to provide your Social Security number and contact information, as well as at least one form of identification, such as a driver’s license or passport. (If you have a joint account, everyone who wants access to the account must provide this information and ID.) You can usually deposit money in cash (if you show up in person) and by check, but you can also transfer money from an existing account.
5. How Much Money Should I Have in the Savings Account?
If you want to set up a savings account for your emergency fund, you should aim to have three to six months’ worth of basic living expenses covered. You can start with small amounts – as little as $500 can cover some financial emergencies without going into debt. For short-term needs, multiple savings accounts or an account divided into “buckets” are handy, especially if you want to set aside money for specific goals, such as a vacation. However, once you have a buffer for emergencies, try building a retirement account with investments where those funds earn more than in a savings account.
6. Are Savings Accounts Worth it in the Face of Inflation?
If inflation is rising much faster than the average national savings rate, it may seem that savings account balances are losing ground to rising prices. There are ways to boost your savings, such as transferring money to a high-interest account. However, the main reason for saving cash is to put something aside for unexpected expenses or financial emergencies. Building up savings now is even more worthwhile because it can keep you from going into debt, which can be very expensive as interest rates rise to curb inflation.