If you are like the majority of people these days, then you know that living within a budget is the only way to survive, especially in this economic downturn. Many people use budget software to keep track of their finances. Typically, these programs range from free to over $250. But why pay for something when there are similar products for free? If this is something you were thinking, then you are like most. Free personal budget software is in most cases more than most families need to stay on track. This article is to show the ways that free budget software may be able to help out your financial situation and maybe put a few more pennies back in your pocket…

Key Features
Most budgeting software comes with a variety of useful features. Here are 3 features which will help you pinch every last penny out of your hard earned dollars:
- Multiple Account Tracker. The majority of family budget software have features that allow you keep track of multiple accounts, at multiple financial institutions as well as your credit cards. Having this information in one report can come in handy when preparing a budget because it keeps your information organized. Also, this feature keeps you from getting late fees because you forgot to pay that pesky credit card payment last month.
- Spending Categorizer. Some types of home budget software offer a unique feature called a spending categorizer. It imports your spending habits and magically creates a extremely helpful pie chart to show you which areas you can cut a little out of and which areas need a little more funding.
- Monthly Cash Flow Projector. A select few personal budget software makers have stepped up to the plate and added a super useful feature called a monthly cash flow projector or MCFP. This MCFP is a line graph that tracks your spending versus incoming cash ratio on a day to day basis. The benefit to this awesome feature is that you can save yourself from those dreaded overdraft fees by being able to see what is going in and coming out of you account throughout the month.
Here are a few of the full featured and most importantly, free budget software brands:
- Mint (www.mint.com). Intuit, the makers of the top family and business budget software series Quicken and Quickbooks has come out with a free online tool called Mint.
- Money Strands (www.money.strands.com). This is a free budget software that uses the approach of ease of use to attract it’s customers.
- My Spending Plan (www.myspendingplan.com). Recommended by the Wall Street Journal, My Spending Plan is a full featured option for all of your budget software needs.
Millions of families have saved hundreds if not thousands monthly because of these products. Before, people didn’t want to spend the $30-$250 it cost to buy these programs but many are starting to realize that in the average household, these intuitive products pay for themselves many times over. If you subtract the main reason that people didn’t want to buy these budget software brands by making them free how can you find a reason not to try one? You never know, it may be worth it’s weight in gold.


