Fin — Budget Tracker
Add style to life on a budget
Free (IAPs) From Thomas Brandstaetter, getfin.app
Made for iPhone, iPad, iPod touch Needs iOS 11.0 or later
No one enjoys living on a budget, but amid the ongoing worldwide pandemic there’s never been a better time to get on the right side of fiscal responsibility. When you’re ready to tighten the belt, install an iPhone app designed to make money management easy and downright fun.
Fin answers the question, “Where is your money going?” By offering only the right tools needed to get the job done quickly, the app’s elegantly designed user interface makes the process a breeze. Set a monthly budget, enter expenses and income, then sit back and let the app keep your spending in check.
We love how simple it is to add new entries, which are always just
a tap (or home screen quick action) away. In the paid version, Fin automatically captures and saves receipts with edge detection and optional image crop, color, and rotate tools, extracting the date and amount with a high degree of accuracy. All the user really needs to do is assign a category; the app comes preconfigured with seven of the most common, including Food & Drink, Travel, and Shopping.
All data is stored directly on your iPhone, with options to enable iCloud backup or export entries in CSV format. The app lacks support for other types of cloud storage, which is just as well since there’s currently no companion macOS version or native iPad support. (Here’s hoping these platforms will be added down the road.)
Although Fin is great for recording expenses as they happen, the app does fall a bit short if you prefer to defer this task for later. In this case, entries are recorded with the current time and location, although you can manually override this information easily enough. The History tab displays a running timeline of entries in chronological order from which users can search or filter by category or country, while the main Budget panel makes it easy to view Day, Week, Month, or Year activity.
Although the free download offers enough functionality for many users, the paid upgrade ($4.99 per month, or a one–time $74.99 fee) is well worth it. Premium users have the ability to add and customize categories, apply themes, and import CSV transactions from financial institutions, with support for over 150 currencies.
THE BOTTOM LINE. Set a budget and stick to it with the help of this slick app. JR BOOKWALTER