Wednesday, September 4, 2013

Student finance: top 5 student budget apps



It’s not thrilling, but it’s really helpful. Use mySuperList to draw up a

shopping list and it’ll tell you how much your basket comes to, what

cashback is available, and where the cheapest place to buy is – comparing

ASDA, Sainsbury’s, Tesco, Waitrose, Boots and Superdrug. Better still, the

app shows what offers each supermarket has on, making it easier to shop for

bargains.


Why get it? It will save you money on every supermarket trip. Yes, even

the boozy ones.


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2. OnTrees

Free on iPhone. ‘Coming soon’ to Android.


OnTrees is an app which links to your bank account, but rest assured, it works

securely and safely. The app keeps users on budget by handily having all

outgoings and income in one place. Create a budget and OnTrees monitors how

closely you’re sticking to it.


Helpfully, it’s great for tracking what you overspend on – so when money is

tight, you’ll know which things to give up. For what it’s worth, 90% of

students recommended it in a trial for NUS.


Why get it? Budgeting is crucial at university – particularly during

freshers’ week. This is the best app for that – though many exist, so you

may find another suits your preference, like DollarBird (which is £1.49).


>> Top five financial mistakes made by students


3. OrSaveIt

Free on iPhone and Android.


It took me a while to really ‘get’ this app – but after using it for a week or

so, it made sense. It works as so: take a photo (or find one) of something

you’re saving toward. Then, every time you don’t make an impulse purchase,

make a note of it and OrSaveIt calculates how much you’ve ‘saved’ by not

spending, and hence how much closer you are to reaching your target.


It’s the friend who says ‘Hey, how about we have one fewer drink each night

and use the money we’ve saved for a road-trip?’


Why get it? Because budgeting is hard and despite every best effort,

it’s all too tempting to blow your cash, especially after a drink. This app

incentivises saving – which is invaluable at uni.


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4. TopCashBack

/ Quidco


Free on iPhone and Android.


There remains a slight scepticism surrounding cashback – but really it’s

straightforward: get money back on purchases you’d usually make. The savings

can be substantial and there are often freebies.


All that’s required is clicking on the links that cashback sites provide.

That’s where these two apps come in: they detail vouchers and cashback

available (including payment for simply walking in and out of shops – no,

really!). It’s worth having both as they have slightly different deals.


Why get it? Cashback means there are consistently offers on lots of

everyday staples, so you can avoid paying full price when you pick up all

the essentials you somehow left at home. And getting paid to window shop?

That’s hard to resist.


>> The best bank accounts for this year’s

students


5. Find

my iPhone
/ Android Device Manager


Free on iPhone and Android


It’s nice to know that people do escape their mobiles for long enough to

forget them. That said, replacing one can be horribly expensive so download

‘Find my iPhone’ and you’ll be able to locate your iPhone and other Apple

devices from any other iOS device.


Where’s my droid ?’

is the android equivalent, though I’d recommend typing ‘Android Device

Manager’ into Google instead, which is better and allows one to remotely

wipe their phone.


Why get it? In the first weeks of uni, you’ll be bouncing between

lecture halls and libraries, bar crawls and halls – all while being in an

unfamiliar city. These GPS locators are a phone-saver.


David Ellis is editor of studentmoneysaver.co.uk




*http://www.telegraph.co.uk/education/universityeducation/student-finance/10268950/Student-finance-top-5-student-budget-apps.html






source : http://techie.id1945.com/2013/09/student-finance-top-5-student-budget-apps/

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