Free personal finance programs

It’s time to whip your finances into shape. Money is tight for everyone these days. It’s important to manage your budget properly. But that’s easier said than done.

Thankfully, you won’t be on your own. There are some great programs that can help. They can show you exactly where your money is going. And they’ll help you put your money to better use.

SimpleD Budget – This program is for creating a personal or household budget. You’ll start with your monthly income. Then, you can allocate it across a number of categories. These include bills, savings, entertainment and more. Finally, you’ll track your spending through the program. And it will show you how well you’re meeting your goals.

GnuCash – Maybe you want to manage all of your expenses. With this program you’ll track a number of checking and savings accounts. You can also track loans, stocks and mutual funds. This program can be labor intensive. But it’s also incredibly useful. All of this information is compiled into reports and balance sheets.

AceMoney Lite – This is a lighter and more focused program. It lets you track a single bank account in detail. You can watch all the activity on that account. And you’ll get monthly and yearly income and expense reports.