The clue’s in the name with YNAB, the app that thinks You Need a Budget. YNAB takes a flexible approach to budgeting with the goal of helping you achieve your money goals with minimal stress along the way.

What we love: It’s easy to get a bird’s-eye view of our finances. Once we add an account and categorise our spending, we can see exactly where our money’s going each month and make better informed decisions about our financial future.

Quick tip: While you can add transactions manually, you can save time by linking supported bank accounts and allowing YNAB to import your spending automatically. This saves energy for more important tasks, such as making decisions about how much you need to set aside for essentials, how much you can afford to save and how much you can spend on the finer things in life.

Meet the creator: YNAB grew from a spreadsheet that founder Jesse Mecham built in 2003 to track how he and his wife were spending their money. Mecham initially hoped to sell his budgeting spreadsheet to generate a little extra income each month. Twenty years later, YNAB has become one of the most recognisable brands in budgeting.