Do you need help getting started budgeting and getting your finances in order? Do you want help for getting out of debt? Today I am going to share the best free resources for budgeting and reducing debt that are available to you.
To begin, the first steps in getting out of debt are simple. Stop spending money on unnecessary expenses, learn the difference between needs and wants and live on less than you make. Sounds easy, but it’s hard to get the ball rolling. But once you do, the ball begins rolling slowly and picks up speed resulting in a pile of savings.
Best Free Resources for Budgeting and Reducing Debt
Mint.com – Mint is a free budget planner that you tailor to your needs. Mint is simple to use: you sign up and start adding your personal accounts. You can add the bills you pay monthly with the option of bill pay. Mint keeps track of all your finances. After inputting your monthly bills, Mint tracks them in one place and lets you know what’s due and what money you have available. Another great feature is Mint gives you your credit score for FREE. Other sites ask for a credit card to let you know your score.
The best part of Mint is being able to create a budget online based on your spending behavior. Even better, there is a goal tracking feature tailored to you. Another perk of the budgeting feature, is you can see what your spending patterns are over time and you can make adjustments to meet your goals.
EveryDollar – EveryDollar is a tool designed by Dave Ramsey who is the guru of debt reduction using the snowball method. Using the EveryDollar budget tool you basically give every dollar a job by applying it to paying bills, debt reduction or investing. The basic EveryDollar plan is free to use but there is a paid option available called EveryDollar Plus which allows you to:
- connect to your personal bank so you can track expenses quickly;
- view all your account balances
- have coaching calls and call back support
And if you use the free version of EveryDollar you will get a FREE trial of EveryDollar Plus for 15 days!
Facebook Groups – There are Facebook groups that you can join that help with budgeting, saving money, eating frugally and even making money. You can join your neighborhood’s Facebook garage sale group if you have items to sell that will help in reducing your debt. Or you can cast a wider net and sell items by utilizing a Facebook’s app called Marketplace. Using Marketplace is easy. Just see what items are selling for, snap a photo and post it with the product description.
Best Facebook Groups to Join for Budgeting and Reducing Debt
Dave Ramsey Budgeting for SAHM and Friends
Budgeting and Beyond
The Frugal Life
Debt Boot Camp
Frugal Family Food
Frugal Homemaking and Living
Best Books for Budgeting and Reducing Debt
These are books that we have used over the years to help us with budgeting and saving money. Of course, first check to see if you library has them available. If not get them used on Amazon or Paperback Swap.
The Complete Tightwad Gazette by Amy Dacyczyn
The Total Money Makeover by Dave Ramsey
The Money Saving Mom’s Budget by Crystal Paine
Lastly, here are a couple of past posts that go into detail of how we budget and save money:
It’s Never too Late to Start a Budget and Save Money
3 Big Budget Busters and How To Avoid Them