We requested volunteers to "test" budgeting websites - and the response of near-deafening-silence said it all. No one likes thinking about budgeting, even in these difficult times. It’s about as appealing as the dentist lecturing you about flossing. But our volunteers found the four locally developed sites surprisingly enjoyable.
We also discovered there were as many budgeting "types" as there were volunteers. Each website tackles the issue of budgeting slightly differently and each reviewer had their favourite. We'd recommend any of the four sites, depending on what sort of budgeter you are and how new you are to the game.
We were looking for online tools that:
- made it easy to set financial goals
- showed you clearly what you earn and spend now
- identified whether you were on track to achieve your financial goals – and how to get back on track if you weren’t.
The sites certainly did this. What we didn’t expect was how easy the sites were to use. In some cases they could be cleverly integrated with your online banking. They gave good analysis of what you’re doing now and you came away feeling encouraged.
Sally, one of our reviewers, said: “I feel much more positive about my finances after doing this exercise, yet I was expecting to feel the opposite.”
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