BudgetSimple

Author: Kaitlyn Short

BudgetSimple is web-based financial planning and budgeting software program. They guarantee that members will save money and have a better understanding of their finances within the first hour of using their tools. We like that they are realistic in acknowledging that while it takes mere seconds to sign up for any financial planning system with an email address, it takes time to learn and establish best practices. BudgetSimple looks to educate its customers as well as provide them a simple budgeting tool. 

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The Good

• Educational blog
• Help with your goals
• Simple account linking

One of the biggest aspects of becoming financially secure is to become educated about finances in general. BudgetSimple offers a blog that addresses basic financial questions and issues. There are an array of posts about financial education, making money, budgeting tips and tools, etc. that will allow consumers to gain a better understanding of money so they can take the steps needed to secure their future. BudgetSimple is web-based financial planning and budgeting software program with the goal of helping their members to truly understand their finances. The following are a few things we like:

• Free basic plan
• Educational blog
• Goal creation
• Bank-level security
• $5 savings guarantee

During the initial sign-up process they ask what you're number one financial goal is in order to help them provide useful recommendations. We're still not sure what those recommendations are, as we have yet to receive any. Basically, this program assists consumers find out where their money is going and where to cut out the unnecessary expenses, which, in turn, helps in successful financial planning and budgeting for the future, whether it be for retirement or a new car. When signing up for the basic plan, members can manually enter in the information of each bank or creditor. It's a little more time consuming, but a way to save a few extra dollars a month. If members opt for the paid plan, bank accounts will be linked providing a more accurate view, down to the penny, of your finances. Either option is as simple as 1 - enter your email; 2 - enter or link your accounts; 3 - Start planning for financial freedom. BudgetSimple offers two plan variations: Basic Plan - Free

• Create a budget
• Generate reports

Plus Plan - $4.99 monthly

• Create a budget
• Access to mobile app
• Generate reports
• Link bank accounts

For customers who enjoy the simplicity of the basic plan, the free option is perfect. BudgetSimple creates goals around your financial situation, and offers bank-level security to protect your account. They offer a guarantee statement that they will find at least $5 worth of savings for you each month, covering the cost of their plus plan service.

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The Bad

• Limited features
• Basic plan is limited
• Mobile app is lacking

The name says it all - BudgetSimple. There aren't many features that are unique to this site although we can appreciate that they held up to their name of being simple. Registering is simple, entering information is simple, canceling is simple, and the content is simple. Basically, if you know how to punch in numbers into an excel file, you'll be able to use this software with no additional or unique features. There is no question as to discovering where your money goes as they offer a completely simple "money-in-money-out" budgeting tool. Some consumers find it important to be able to link their bank accounts to their personal finance tools to put into perspective your overall finances on one easy to use platform. However, with the free plan, bank accounts cannot be linked. You must upgrade to the plus package to receive that offering. Some common concerns with BudgetSimple include:

• Basic plan doesn't allow bank account linkage
• Lack of features on mobile app

Another potentially negative aspect is their companion app. For both iPhone and Android users, there are complaints regarding a lack of features. BudgetSimple also doesn't date any of the transactions, which would be a useful aspect when viewing spending habits.

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The Bottom Line

BudgetSimple lives up to its name     simple. Many consumers sign up for these types of programs because they need to be aided in balancing finances on their own. While BudgetSimple offers a great tool to get started, we'd recommend that you go with the paid plan to get started. Otherwise, it seems as though individuals could fall victim to their old habits because of the required effort to enter data in manually and update progress on their own. The Plus plan offers an automatic wizard that links your accounts and generates your income and expenses for you. Those that use BudgetSimple can expect the following from the service:

1. Two package options to choose from
2. Budgeting tool/resources
3. Limited mobile app