Nowadays you don't have to "go it alone" when you're trying to track your spending, save for a house or shrink your bills. There are some helpful websites that can make a huge impact on your pocket book.
For instance, are you paying too much for gas? How about your cell phone or TV service?
BillShrink.com has answers. The website says "BillShrink instantly combs through more than 10 million plan combinations to see if another one can save you money."
The free service is independent and not connected to any retailers. But we should note, they may ask you for a lot of information about your spending habits which could be used for marketing.
Still you don't mind sharing things like what kind of car you have, you can save with instant information on things like where the cheapest gas station is in your area.
For the bigger picture head over to Mint.com. It's a free online personal finance service. You link up with your bank account and credit card information and it tracks your spending and does your book keeping for you. I know what you're thinking.. Is it secure? Mint says it "uses bank-level data security verified by Verisign and TrustE." Plus, it's anonymous, so when you sign up you never have to give your name.
"The internet is really changing the way we shop and can be intelligent consumers," says Financial Planner Beau Shuler with Wealth Management Associates in Spartanburg.
He's impressed with sites like Mint.com which make financial planning easier for people with little background in money management.
"It lets ’em get control, and that's what's really important in terms of budgeting or being more efficient with your money or meeting objectives is having information," said Shuler.
Another website, SmartyPig.com targets specific financial goals like saving up for computer or a car.
Like Mint dot com, you link it to your bank account, but this site offers you an incentive to save, 2.15% interest if you meet your goal.
So whether it's BillShrink, Mint or Smartypig dot com... the web is a great way to help you reach your financial goals for free.
There are also a lot of money saving websites for specific needs:
Rent-O-Meter is a good one to check out to compare rent prices before you sign with a landlord.
"Find a Better Bank" can tell you where you'll get the best bank for your buck at the teller.
And SkyScanner is one of the few sites that compares the prices of budget airlines.
Email
Facebook
Google
Twitter
Favorites
More
Advertisement