IT’S one of the most depressing weeks of the year as many of us face a debt hangover from Christmas and payday is still some way off.
But try not to get down about your finances. Instead, why not download a budgeting app that can help put you back in control? It will let you keep an eye on different accounts in one place, check spending and set goals.
Save using these top budgeting apps with our Sun Savers tips
We spoke to Damien Fahy at moneytothemasses.com for a rundown of some of the best tools and what they offer . . .
EMMA: This is a free app but you can opt for more features at an extra cost. It lets you see all your accounts in one place to track spending and puts your buys into categories. You can set budgets and it helps you ditch unnecessary subscriptions by highlighting your regular payments. It also sends updates to keep you on track.
MONEY DASHBOARD: Another free app like Emma, this categorises spending, such as household bills and groceries, so you can see what you have left after paying for essentials. It allows you to set multiple budgets for different categories of spending. It also notifies you of overspending and lets you set future goals.
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MONEYHUB: Costs 99p a month, or £9.99 for a year, but the first six months are free. Offers similar tools and functions to free apps Emma and Money Dashboard — so it might be worth seeing if you like those before paying for this one.
MONZO: A digital bank account rather than a budgeting app, but it has many of the same useful features. You can set goals and budgets and it offers a clear summary of spending. It lets you round up outgoings to the nearest pound and save the change into a pot.
STARLING BANK: Also a digital bank, this app has great budgeting features. It gives real-time updates to help you track daily spending, and offers insights to help you cut back.
Like Monzo, you can round up spending and sweep the pennies into a savings pot. You can reach your savings goal faster by multiplying these round-ups by two, five or ten.
- Prices on this page correct at time of going to press. Deals and offers subject to availability.
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BOOTS is bringing back Price Advantage – so if you have a Boots Advantage Card you will get discounts on 150 products each month. Savings include Aveeno shampoo, down from £8.99 to £4.50, and L’Oreal anti-wrinkle serum, down from £24.99 to £16.60. To save, download the Boots app and sign up for the card.
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ICELAND has four cartons of its own-brand apple, orange, mango or tropical juice for £3, normally £1 each.
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BOOTS has halved the prices of selected vitamins, including own-brand kids’ multivitamins for £2.24, down from £4.49.
What's new
ROBERT Dyas is having a mega January sale, with offers up to half price on furniture, kitchenware, electricals, cleaning and health products. A Mixx F1 FitnessTracker bracelet is £19.99, down from £39.99, and a Flite Revolution hybrid bike is £159.99, down from £209.99.
Cheap treat
CADBURY’S Milk Chocolate Fingers are down from £1.50 to 95p for Tesco Clubcard holders.
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Deal of day
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