Mint.com

[PedroDaGr8]

I know there are a variety of services like this out there now, but I was thinking about it tonight. One of the best things I ever did for my finances was sign up for an account on Mint.com a few years ago. It really has helped me get a handle on my finances. Before using it, no matter how hard I tried, every now and then there would be something that would sneak up on me. I like the fact that at ANY instant, I can check my account see how much money I have in the bank, how my retirement funds are doing, my student loan balances and most importantly see any upcoming bills, how much they are and on what days they are on. For me the issue was never keeping a budget. I was always really good at that. It was making sure that my bank account balance was higher on specific days of the month. So being able to check at any one time and automatically see all of my upcoming bills is truly helpful. The automatic budgeting feature has helped me keep track on where my money goes more easily as well. No need to categorize my receipts, its all done for me.

For me it is like a financial personal assistant. It doesn't do anything I couldn't do myself but it does it automatically, reliably and for me. I check my budgets every couple of days to keep an eye on spending in all categories. Because of this, every single month now I have positive net cash flow which I have been directing at my student loans and savings. I doubt many of the adults on here need something like this but if you have a college age or young professional who WANTS to get his/her finances in order but keeps having issues. Have them try something like this out.

[Darrell KSR]

I doubt many of the adults on here need something like this...

I've been using Mint for a long time. I know I don't get all of the use out of it I should, but I enjoy the reports, emails, graphs, and notifications.