It’s hard enough to keep a budget for one, let alone get your entire family on track with their finances. Fortunately, there are plenty of apps out there that can help keep you, your spouse, son, daughter and 11-year-old pug (OK, maybe not that last one) from spending beyond your family’s means.
Here are some choice apps that can help with your household budgeting.
1. Goodbudget
Platforms: iOS and Android
Essentially a digital version of the envelope system — you know, where you put money allotted for a particular spending category in one and then don’t use any dollars beyond that — this app syncs up across household devices. That way, everyone in the family can know exactly what’s left to spend on groceries, entertainment and other categories each month. The free version lets you set up 10 regular envelopes and 10 annual envelopes across two devices. A subscription service with unlimited envelopes and device syncs costs $5 a month or $45 a year.
2. You Need a Budget
Platforms: iOS and Android
You Need a Budget (YNAB) is another app that lets folks sharing finances sync their devices and work together. This app pairs with web software of the same name to help users implement the YNAB four big rules: give every dollar a job, embrace your true expenses, roll with the punches and age your money. You can try the latest version, launched in late 2015 and dubbed “The New YNAB,” for free for 34 days. After that, a subscription costs $5 a month or $50 a year.
3. Home Budget
Platforms: iOS and Android
This digital expense tracker from Anishu includes a feature called Family Sync, which — you guessed it — enables household devices to exchange income and spending information within a single, shared budget. There’s a free version (Home Budget with Sync Lite) which limits your expense and income entries, and a paid version (just plain ol’ Home Budget with Sync) that costs $5.99.
4. Wallet by BudgetBakers
Platforms: iOS and Android
This budgeting app lets your share selected accounts with family members so everyone knows what’s going on with the household budget. You can also choose to connect your bank accounts to the app to get automatic updates about their standing. Wallet has a free version with limited features and several paid subscription versions that vary in cost. Its top tier, called Master plan, allows up to 10 users, unlimited bank connections and customized financial analysis. It costs $5.49 a month or $44.30 a year.
5. EveryDollar
Platforms: iOS and Android
This budgeting app helps people apply the money management principles of budgeting guru Dave Ramsey. It syncs across devices so you can budget from your smartphone or your household desktop. There’s a free version and a Plus subscription, which lets you connect your bank accounts to the app and call for support. It costs $9.99 a month.
Balancing the Family Budget
Remember, you’ll want to read the terms and conditions of any app you’re looking to use so you know what it costs, how your data is protected and whether any information will be shared with third-parties. You can find more information for vetting mobile apps on the Federal Trade Commission’s website.
And, when it comes to maintaining a household budget, it’s also important to keep track of your credit because a bad or even fair credit score can really cost you on everything from mortgage interest to your family’s cell phone plan.
If your credit isn’t in great shape, you can improve your scores by disputing errors on your credit reports, paying down high credit card balances and getting delinquent accounts back in good standing. And, as always, you can maintain good credit by paying all your bills on time, keeping debt levels low and adding a mix of new credit accounts over time.
Samantha A. Gregory is an author, consultant, and speaker. She’s a single-mom lifestyle, money, and parenting expert featured in The Washington Post, The New York Times, Essence Magazine, HuffPost, ABC News, and Mint.com.
Samantha founded the award-winning RichSingleMomma.com™, the first online magazine featuring personal finance, parenting, and personal development content and courses for single moms.
She aims to inspire women who are ready to thrive and not just survive in their single motherhood journey. Connect with her on Instagram @richsinglemomma.
Today is the start of the 12 Days of Christmas and the best time to share my last minute holiday gift ideas with you. I’ve broken it down to Gifts for Her, Gifts for Him, and Gifts for everyone. You can check out my other holiday shopping posts Gift Guide for Busy Moms and Affordable Last Minute Gift Ideas guide. May you have a very Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah, Happy Kwanzaa, and Happy New Year!
Here are a few last minute gifts for your mom, daughter, best friend, or co-workers to enjoy. You can buy them online at Amazon.com, on the product website, or in the store. It all depends on the way you like to shop. If you shop online be sure to check on Ebates.com to see if there are any cash back deals for the online store you are shopping at.
iLuminate 22pc Makeup Brush Set
This makeup brush set is for professional makeup artists and at-home beauty fanatics alike. It includes 22 extra soft brushes conveniently stored in a sleek faux-leather rollout pouch. It includes a carry and travel case plus a cleaning tool. Great for practicing all the makeup techniques you learned on YouTube.
If you are anything like me, you use your phone’s camera to check or reapply your makeup. The only problem is there is no light to
really see all the details. The iLuminate travel mirror has a LED light with a regular and magnified mirror so you can get in really close. This will probably be shared between me and my daughter for those quick makeup checks.
Nobody likes acne scars, especially teen girls. Get her this acne scar kit to help clear up her skin so it has a fresh glow. I like to keep things simple and have taught my daughter to do the same. Fortunately, we both have pretty clear skin but occasionally a pimple will leave a scar. This kit contains Pumpkin Enzyme repair cream and vitamin C serum to help the scars fade.
Clip-on jewelry is the first fashionable accessible accessory to women’s bras, tank tops, dresses and tops. It also clips onto swimwear, bikini tops and bikini bottoms, purses, scarves, and boots. You can also wear it in your hair as a delicate new hair accessory.
Created in Los Angeles California. The Jewel Bouquet sells around $25.00 – $30.
Blob Tagua Ring is 100% natural, sustainable, organic, vegan and biodegradable. The rings are designed in Vermont and ethically handmade in Colombia from “dried tagua seeds” (AKA “vegetable ivory —our raw material). Dried Tagua seeds are very similar to ivory in color, texture, and hardness. It would make a unique, original and affordable stocking stuffer.
If you are anything like me it can be challenging to find something that the guy on your list will love. It could be your dad, uncle, son, cousin, boss, or boyfriend. Here are a few last minute gift ideas that don’t include ties, socks, or electronics.
Vybe Socks
My nephews and quite a few men I know are into the colorful socks that are in style now. They add personality and flair to their usually boring suits and dress clothes. Vybe offers socks for men and boys that would make a great gift idea. There are matching socks for father and son as well.
This is one tough bag that is great for carrying small electronics, cords, or toiletries. You will not have to worry about things falling out or getting damaged by water or the weather. It will definitely last for a long time and it even has a lifetime warranty. It’s a great gift for your resident gadget geek.
The CelebriDuck comes in different characters, both real and fictional, and makes a great gift for your kids or adults. They are safe for teething babies and are PVC-free. Makes a great stocking stuffer.
These last minute gifts are good for anyone on your list. Perfect for families, foodies, or folks you barely know. It doesn’t matter as long as they feel the joy of the Holidays through you!
Cupright
CUPRIGHT, which is a table and desktop tip-proof insulated cup holder. It’s a perfect gift for co-workers or anyone that drinks out of a paper cup, bottle, or can work, or at home. Accidental spills happen when you least expect them, and keyboards and other electronics are expensive to repair, not to mention, rugs, dry-cleaning bills, and valuable time cleaning up messes. In addition, CUPRIGHT is insulated and also helps keep your beverage warmer or cooler longer and it eliminates the need for a coaster.
I like caramel every once in a while but when I tasted McCrea’s sea salt caramel I had to stop myself from eating the whole package. It was that good! This candy is perfect for your caramel lover. McCrea’s signature product features Hawaiian black lava sea salt swirled into caramel to provide a salty-sweet mouthful. Additional flavor combinations include Basil Cayenne, Ginger Fusion, Curried Butternut, and Rosemary Truffle Sea Salt. They also offer such classic flavors as vanilla, chocolate, maple, mocha, and coffee.
They use local, real-food ingredients and package our caramel in beautiful compostable containers. Everything is made in America. Our caramel is available for purchase online and in retail outlets throughout North America
I am a positive thinking pitbull but even I have days when the negative thoughts threaten to overpower me. So it’s exciting to find a product that helps re-focus your thoughts from negative to positive ones and it looks good too! Refocus bands allow you be to be more mindful and take control of your thoughts by simply flipping the band every time a negative thought overpowers you. Every flip helps encourage a positive thought that guides your inner voice in the right direction. There are over 10 different designs and affirmations to choose from, Refocus Bands are leading the way as the hottest positive fashion statement that conditions you to live a more mindful life..
Each item sold helps support amazing charities they discover that align with their values and make a difference in the world.
I tried the Bodyworks Ball and have decided it will be a gift to myself! This ball is perfect for my lower back. I’ve had a few issues after my accident in March with pain and discomfort. I tried the Bodyworks ball according to the instructions and got the stiffness to relax. Yes!!! Get this “O List” favorite for yourself or anyone who has problems with stiffness, soreness, or pain in their neck, back, shoulders, or feet.
My son loves to cook and bake so it makes sense for me to think about getting him baking tools this holiday season. I have heard about a few cooking subscription box services but never a baking subscription service until now. Rise Baking is a monthly baking subscription service that ships premium ingredients with original recipes directly to your door. The process is simple. Each month you will choose recipes that suit your taste. Then, your monthly baking box will arrive fully stocked with pre-measured and color-coded ingredients making the baking process simple. Rise takes the intimidation and hassle out of baking with results that will have anyone baking like a pro. All recipes are “from scratch” never mixes. They have a 3-, 6-, or 12-month plan. You can also give a gift box.
Use code “Holiday10” for 10% off a monthly plan or “Gifts10” for 10% off a gift box
Mary Tylor Naturals
For the crafter in your family, Mary Tylor Naturals has great organic products they can use to make soaps, creams, lip balm, or anything they can think of. I make Blyss Body Butter from 100% organic ingredients and am always looking for a great source for my product. You have a variety to choose from including Shea butter, cocoa butter, beeswax, and product containers.
Add a little flavor to your holiday party with Cranberry Spice Moonshine made with Everclear. It’s a festive drink made with cranberries, cinnamon, allspice, nutmeg and cloves – it blends all the holiday flavors to form what may become a new tradition.
Samantha A. Gregory is an author, consultant, and speaker. She’s a single-mom lifestyle, money, and parenting expert featured in The Washington Post, The New York Times, Essence Magazine, HuffPost, ABC News, and Mint.com.
Samantha founded the award-winning RichSingleMomma.com™, the first online magazine featuring personal finance, parenting, and personal development content and courses for single moms.
She aims to inspire women who are ready to thrive and not just survive in their single motherhood journey. Connect with her on Instagram @richsinglemomma.
Welcome to another Affordable Cars for Single Moms Series. I admit it. I love driving amazing cars! It’s the speed, the features, having great control along a long stretch of highway. Great when I’m alone in my car but when I’m in mom mode I think about other things altogether. Like comfort, convenience, and space for my tall teens and nephews. As long as I have my phone holder like the WizGear™ Universal Air Vent Magnetic Car Mount Holder so I can see my Waze app I’m good.
Why the SUV is My Bae
Driving the Mazda CX-5 was a treat because one of my favorite types of vehicles is the SUV or sport Utility Vehicle. They have the best of both worlds. It drives like a car and has the height and space like a van. But I don’t and have never wanted a van despite my kids wanting me to get one. Sorry but I’m not that kind of mom. My dream car was a Camaro before kids. Driving a sports car is my dream but the kids came so I’ve put it on the back burner for a while until my nest is empty ;-).
The Mazda CX-5 Rivals But Can’t Replace My True Boo
Back to driving the Mazda CX-5. It was a nice experience. I really appreciated the upgraded features I can’t get on my own 2004 Honda CR-V. I’m sure the newer models of the CR-V has the features I got to play with in the CX-5. I could tell the engine had a little less pick up and go as my car but it handled well. It is a nice smaller suv like my own car and very spacious.
Watch My Video Car Review of the Mazda CX-5
I won’t bore you with making you read all the details. Instead I have a 3-part video series that you can view below. The price of this car is quite affordable at $21k for the base model and $28k for the bells and whistles. Mazda is a pretty solid brand so definitely take it out for a test drive.
Samantha A. Gregory is an author, consultant, and speaker. She’s a single-mom lifestyle, money, and parenting expert featured in The Washington Post, The New York Times, Essence Magazine, HuffPost, ABC News, and Mint.com.
Samantha founded the award-winning RichSingleMomma.com™, the first online magazine featuring personal finance, parenting, and personal development content and courses for single moms.
She aims to inspire women who are ready to thrive and not just survive in their single motherhood journey. Connect with her on Instagram @richsinglemomma.
Have you seen the news about bottled water lately? It’s kind of scary right? It was at the time I got the Vox Box PUR water filter system to review. I was literally at the grocery store that day and forgot to pick up bottled water. Then I remembered that I have a PUR system so I don’t need to buy water. The thought of saving money made my day.
I have the water filtering system and have used it for about three weeks. All I can say is WOW!! What a difference in taste, convenience, and amount of trash. I don’t have to have ice cold water anymore to cover up the taste of unfiltered water. It’s convenient because I just have to turn the faucet on and flip the switch on the filter. I don’t have a trash can full of water bottles so the waste has been greatly reduced.
As described in the video below, it was very easy to put the filter on my faucet. It basically snapped in place. That is such a relief because I honestly didn’t want to go through the drama.
Here is the video review. Leave a comment and let me know if you use a water filter or are buying bottled water. If you use something else to get delicious water while saving money let me know that too.
Don’t forget to like the video and subscribe to my channel. I’m going to try to do a better job of posting videos.
Samantha A. Gregory is an author, consultant, and speaker. She’s a single-mom lifestyle, money, and parenting expert featured in The Washington Post, The New York Times, Essence Magazine, HuffPost, ABC News, and Mint.com.
Samantha founded the award-winning RichSingleMomma.com™, the first online magazine featuring personal finance, parenting, and personal development content and courses for single moms.
She aims to inspire women who are ready to thrive and not just survive in their single motherhood journey. Connect with her on Instagram @richsinglemomma.
For one week I had fun driving and reviewing the 2014 Kia Soul around town. I would have driven it out of town but it wasn’t exactly the right time to do that plus I was super busy.
The lovely people at Drive STI dropped off the car on a crisp and clear Tuesday afternoon. They handed me the keys and the magic began, or at least if felt like magic to me. The side mirrors automatically activated when I came to the car. Kinda freaky but it was cool at the same time.
I got the grand tour of the bells and whistles from front to back. It was so cool to learn how this 5-star rated vehicle could do so much. (more…)
Samantha A. Gregory is an author, consultant, and speaker. She’s a single-mom lifestyle, money, and parenting expert featured in The Washington Post, The New York Times, Essence Magazine, HuffPost, ABC News, and Mint.com.
Samantha founded the award-winning RichSingleMomma.com™, the first online magazine featuring personal finance, parenting, and personal development content and courses for single moms.
She aims to inspire women who are ready to thrive and not just survive in their single motherhood journey. Connect with her on Instagram @richsinglemomma.
A couple nights ago my kids and I went to see the Smurfs 2. While we were waiting for the movie to start I asked my daughter when did the movie come out. She said it would be out on July 31… It was then that I realized we were at a preview screening of the movie. If felt a little special after that even though I’ve been to pre-screenings before.
The lowdown is that we got to see the 3-D version, had our choice of seats, and all thought it was a very good movie. The popocorn and drinks were overpriced but that’s par for the course at a big chain movie theater I guess.
I really didn’t have high expectations for the movie. Though I grew up during the original Smurfs television show run, I didn’t get into it. But I settled in to watch because the tickets were free and I am kinda partial to free stuff.
Though my expectations were kind of low I was pleasantly surprised at how good the storyline was! Smurfette goes rogue and becomes a deviant? She becomes naughty? How could that be? But it does happen like you see in the trailer below.
Smurfs Movie 2 Trailer
There were laugh-out-loud parts and situations that would touch your heart. Family and belonging is a key theme not to be missed. Sticking together no matter how tough things get and changing for the benefit of others are all prevalent in the movie.
Gargamel is still a character you love to hate with his antics. Always trying to capture and rule the Smurfs. Overall I’m sure you will feel very comfortable taking your kids to see this movie and pleasantly surprise with the themes running through the movie.
A Word About Movie Critics Reviewing Kid’s Films
I’ve seen some pretty negative reviews about the movie by so-called movie critics. I’m always at a loss about how they even get to review a kid’s movie. They are not kids and but they do act like spoiled brats when it comes to rating a made-for-kids movie. Most complain about how the movie is made, the “lame lines, and such. But overall kids enjoy the movie and it’s not for a full-grown movie critic with adult experiences (i.e. bitterness because they had a crappy childhood).
When it comes to kids movies I ignore the critics because they are never the voice of reason or experience. They no longer see life through a child’s eyes and most don’t even have kids of their own. So if you are relying on the critics to tell you whether you should go see this movie or not, I say forget about them and in this case listen to your kids. (Stepping off my soapbox now)
I usually don’t like 3-D movies but Sony does a great job on this one. The special effects and the animation makes you feel like you are a part of the movie.
I highly recommend going to see the Smurfs 2. They did not disappoint Rich Single Momma at all!
Samantha A. Gregory is an author, consultant, and speaker. She’s a single-mom lifestyle, money, and parenting expert featured in The Washington Post, The New York Times, Essence Magazine, HuffPost, ABC News, and Mint.com.
Samantha founded the award-winning RichSingleMomma.com™, the first online magazine featuring personal finance, parenting, and personal development content and courses for single moms.
She aims to inspire women who are ready to thrive and not just survive in their single motherhood journey. Connect with her on Instagram @richsinglemomma.
Hi! Welcome to RichSingleMomma.com. I started this website almost a decade ago because I couldn't find any blogs back then that helped single moms with money. I was having some success in that area so I decided to share what I knew about side hustles, making extra money, and managing money. Read more...
