There are very few people in the world who don’t know what it’s like to struggle with money. Even the rich and powerful have likely had moments in their lives where money didn’t flow as freely as it could, or where a bad investment led to a huge loss and left them hurting.
Money problems are one of the subjects we all commiserate with each other about; struggling with money is a universal issue.
It goes without saying, then, that not only do you not have to suffer in silence if that’s you, but there are plenty of tools which can help.
Anyone with a smartphone (that’s most of everyone these days) can access these 5 apps, and they’re all excellent for bringing you out of a financial tough spot. (Please note: all links here are Android-based, but many of these apps have great iOS versions too.)
Table of Contents
Prosper
We’re cheating a bit with this first one, as Prosper isn’t technically an app, it’s a web-based P2P lending platform. That said, with Android phones it’s easy to create a shortcut on your home screen to a web page, which kinda makes Prosper an app.
We couldn’t resist mentioning it, anyway, because Prosper is a great way to bring yourself out of a financial hole. It was originally launched back in 2006, and has funded over $6 billion in loans since then. Prosper is a reliable, solid lending platform, and we couldn’t recommend it highly enough.
If P2P lending isn’t your bag, there are plenty of other great-quality, highly trustworthy lenders out there who will be willing to loan you money either on a secured or unsecured basis, so a loan is a great way to start if you’re struggling (provided you can pay it back when you’re solvent again).
Debt Book
Take control of your debts and understand your repayments better with Debt Book. This app is great for a more personal approach to debts, as it allows both the lender and the borrower to interface on the same platform and send payments back and forth.
This humanises the process and makes your lender seem like more than just the faceless cause of your woes. Debt Book also offers all the usual features you’d expect from a debt manager like visual tracking, charts, an overview of your debt and more.
If you’re looking for a way to get your affairs in order and track your finances responsibly, then Debt Book should be the first place you look.
Mint
Mint is probably the best finance management app out there, especially if you’re not looking to pay any money for your management apps (which, if you’re struggling with your finances, is a good way to go).
The Mint allows you to connect your credit and bank accounts to keep track of your spending, as well as inputting your bills so you can keep up-to-date with when a bill is due.
Depending on how much information you give to Mint, it’s also capable of keeping track of your income, so you know how much you’ve got to spend on bills and how much you have left over at the end of each month. If you’re budgeting, you can’t go wrong with Mint.
Coinbase
For some, this will be an app for when they get out of their financial troubles, but for many others Coinbase is an excellent way to supplement income. Coinbase is basically a cryptocurrency trading platform which allows you to buy and sell bitcoin, ethereum and litecoin.
The devs are looking to add more cryptocurrencies to their platform in the future, and as the cryptocurrency market takes off Coinbase is only likely to increase in significance. If you’re a beginner to trading Bitcoin, Coinbase makes the whole process easy-peasy.
There are purchase limits in place, but it is possible to increase them by providing ID and thus proving yourself trustworthy. Looking for a little extra cash? Start right here.
My Budget Book
Right out of the gate, we should say that My Budget Book costs about $3 (roughly £2.30), so if you’re really struggling you should opt for a free alternative. However, for those who are able to stretch to the small payment required, My Budget Book is the definitive budgeting app.
Paying that price gets you a fully-featured, powerful budget book app with no ads and full offline support. The interface is gorgeous and clean, and the app allows you to set limits on your spending so that you don’t fall into bad habits.
If you struggle to keep track of your spending and want to limit yourself but just can’t seem to restrict yourself, then My Budget Book will work wonders for your finances.
