Keeping track of your money can be difficult these days.
Amongst the bills, subscriptions and investments, managing your budget can turn into a chore of minutiae that is costly to ignore.
Thankfully, for those who’d rather not keep a personal spreadsheet on the go at all times, there are time and money saving solutions just a few taps away.
Here are IB Insider’s favourite worldwide personal finance apps that can help make you more money savvy without having to become a part time accountant.
UK – Cleo (www.meetcleo.com)
Cleo is an innovative approach to personal finance, dodging the dull number crunching of spreadsheets past with a money savvy AI powered chatbot.
Linked to your bank account, Cleo is a digital assistant that will reply to all your money based queries with solutions on everything from budgets to investments.
Cleo will tell you what you can and can’t afford to be doing right now, happily play games with you to teach you a lesson in personal finance, and even has the ‘roast’ option seen above to keep you in line when you’re getting a little fiscally wayward!
For those who enjoy the format, looking to integrate Cleo deeper into their financial planning, there is a premium monthly version offering enhanced features including insurance and daily cash.
There are plenty of apps with similar purposes, but Cleo’s engaging chat-based approach is what sets it apart.
This focus on getting beginners into good financial habits, in a vastly more entertaining way than traditional solutions, is a welcome addition to the personal money App market.
Best for: Those needing a nudge into better habits
USA – Mint (www.mint.intuit.com)
The grandaddy of budgeting apps, MINT, provides a comprehensive set of tools to keep track of accounts and spending.
It places all of your US accounts into one place, categorises spending automatically, and over time analyses personal habits to give you a realistic budget – setting you on the path to sustainable financial growth.
Other tricks up its sleeve include subscription tracking, free credit score rating and tax analysis.
MINT sets itself apart with its usability, smart blend of personal finance tools and clever AI to provide a personalized, more automated experience.
Best for: Those looking for a full toolkit of saving options and information to review
UAE – Beamwallet (www.beamwallet.com)
Combining convenience and cashback, Beamwallet allows you to pay using your phone around the UAE whilst also offering the chance to collect rewards at the same time.
Every time you spend through the app you earn a percentage back in dirhams to spend on rewards at big brands, giving you some extra bang for your buck!
During the coronavirus pandemic, the company has established a gift card function on the app to support local businesses. The scheme offers 10% back from purchases made with a gift card bought from a merchant in advance, helping local businesses with their cashflow and you with savings.
Best for: Those who love to save while they spend
China – Alipay (www.intl.alipay.com)
Developed by Chinese e-commerce giant Alibaba, Alipay is indispensable for those living in mainland China.
The app allows users to send and receive money, gives a finance dashboard for money management, and access to its wider platform to pay for everything from groceries to insurance policies.
Used by over 450 million people in China, its ubiquity is the source of its utility, and most retail outlets in China have dedicated scanners that can accept Alipay from your phone. You can transfer money to its millions of users – be that a friend or taxi driver, and its payment platform is heavily relied upon across businesses.
Whatever you’re using the app for, a digital receipt shows up in your Alipay transaction history, so you can keep track of your money.
Best for: Those looking to integrate real life functionality
Hong Kong – PPS (www.ppshk.com)
The fewer bills the better in our experience, and for those in Hong Kong the PPS app may not reduce the amount of bills you have, but it will make them a whole lot easier to keep track of.
The app makes your bill payments smarter and easier than going through them all one by one. A jack of all trades, the PPS mobile app allows you to settle bills on more than 20 different sectors from more than 800 merchants.
Being able to manage your bills in one place including for credit cards, utilities, phone contracts, tuition fees and insurance to name a few is a great time saver. Seeing your regular payments in one place is also a great way to get a feel for your outgoings and subsequent budget.
Best for: Those who want to keep track of their bills in one place
Worldwide – XE (www.xe.com/apps)
For those lucky enough to have work that takes you around the world there are still the errands that come with travel. Changing money is a notoriously easy way to lose your hard-earned cash to commission from the bureau de change.
Fortunately, there’s plenty of alternatives to the airport Travelex these days.
XE is a handy app for those looking to change their Yuan to Dinars or Euros as they please. It allows you to store your 10 preferred currencies and compare their rates to your home currency.
The rate alert option is great for those on the move looking for the perfect time to make big currency changes for optimum conversion rates.
Whilst you might be wondering how long it will be until you next have the need for some foreign money, money never stops moving, so you shouldn’t ignore the chance to get a good price for future trips!
Best for: Those on the move looking to make the most of their travel money
Netflix subscriptions are increasing, and it can be hard to remember what you signed up for on a free trial 6 months ago. With the job market restricted, budgeting is now more important than ever and it shouldn’t feel like a chore.
These apps should help to make the process infinitely easier, just don’t let Cleo call all the shots…
