Goodbudget Budget Planner – Expense Tracker & Personal Finance Manager

Goodbudget provides users with a tool to manage money. From the app’s main screen, users can tap the “Edit” button and then set the app so they budget weekly, monthly, semi-monthly, or every two weeks. Additionally, users can create “Envelopes” that they designate for expenditures using preloaded categories that include: cell phone, entertainment, giving, rent, or loan payment. They can also personalize these envelopes by adding unique terms and allocating specific amounts of money to them. Finally, users can add the income they earn or use during the time period they selected when creating their budget. Once they do, users should tap the “Done” button, and the app will show them their budget. To track payments, users must tap the “Compose” button on the top right of the screen, which will take them to a new screen. Here, users enter information about the payment (e.g., payee, amount, funding envelope, account, date, check number and note) and then tap the “Save” button. The app will then return users to the main screen and show users their new budget. Users can then tap the “Transaction” button on the bottom of the screen to view all the payments made and income earned that was logged into their budget. Users can also track their spending by tapping the “Accounts” and “Reports” buttons on the bottom of their screen.

Instructional Ideas

1. Teachers can require students to budget for a week using this app. As they do, students will need to track the income they earned from jobs, allowance, or other sources, and how they spend it. After the week, teachers can ask students reflective questions such as: (1) What was the most challenging part when using this app?, (2) Do you think this app helped you monitor your money?, (3) Would you recommend this app, why or why not? Students can respond in writing or orally.
2. Teachers can first have students research the annual expenditures for a single adult, a couple living together without children, and a family of four. Next, teachers can have students research two or more careers and the annual income for those careers and then have students break those annual incomes into monthly earnings after taxes. With this information, students can use this app to analyze how their living situation and career relate to their financial life.
3. Teachers can have students enter what they estimate to be their average monthly bills and expenditures they plan to pay when they have their first full time job. Based on inputting that data, teachers can have students approximate the amount of money they will need to earn. Finally, teachers can have students research the type of job they will need to have in order to earn the money necessary to pay their monthly bills.
4. Teachers can have students research the average monthly expenses for a person living in their city. Next, teachers can have students budget based on their average monthly income for a person living in that city, for a person making minimum wage, and for a person living on welfare/unemployment. Teachers can then ask students their opinion about wages and what is a “fair” wage to offer people for their work.

Screenshots

Download QR-Code

‎Goodbudget Budget Planner

Developer: Dayspring Technologies

Price: Free⁺