4 Apps Useful for a College Student’s Budget
by Julexus Cappell
Whether it was a New Year resolution, trying to recover your bank account from spring break fun or saving for a major purchase, it can be agreed that adopting sound spending and saving habits while in school can create a solid future. If you are in college, odds are you are probably on a slim budget, but that doesn’t mean you cannot find ways to make the most of it. Like most things in this day and age, it can be as simple as an app on your phone. Check out these four apps incredibly useful for small steps to whip your finances into shape:
- Mint
The idea of having alerts remind you of your bills may not be the most appealing thought initially, but the organization of this app can be a big help in being financially aware. Mint, available on IOS and Android not only prompts you of your bill due dates, but also shows you analytics of what exactly you are spending your money on monthly. Based on your income (the app links to your bank card) and expenses, it offers reports on where you may be spending too little (or much) and suggests simple specific budgeting strategies.
- Acorns
Have you ever been interested in investing, but were always intimidated by the thought of stock portfolios, mutual funds, etc.? Look no further than Acorns, the app that takes your change and invests it into multiple companies with just the click of a button. The program, called ‘Round-Ups,’ links to your bank account and rounds every purchase you make to the next dollar (so if you buy something for $7.15, you will be spending $8). Once these round-ups reach $5, Acorns applies the money to multiple stocks in different fields. Although you cannot say you own a full stock, it will be cool to say you have partial shares in companies such as Apple, Google, Microsoft and more.
- Shell Fuel Rewards
This Tier 1 gas station offers at least 3 cents off of each gallon (5 cents and up in most cases) just by registering a *free* Fuel Rewards card and account. You can either receive a card at any Shell station and register it online or make an account and request a card by mail. By linking your bank card, you also save when you spend at participating retailers. Some deals can be useful if you need services like an oil change or are booking a hotel for a trip, and save you as much 35 cents off per gallon.
- Flipp
Getting the good deals at the grocery store doesn’t have to entail the time-consuming task of extreme couponing like on the home improvement networks. The convenience of Flipp allows users to search whatever item they’d like, and find the best deal based on location and preferred retailer (based on account setup information). The app also lets users save shopping lists, save coupons for different stores and offer rebates on selected items that vary.
