PENDLETON, Ind. — Look your spending square in the eye.
That's something Richard Wayman admits he didn't quite do for some time.
"If I was my own CFO, would I still have a job? And I decided probably not," Wayman said.
While Wayman said his family paid their bills on time and dodged debt, there was fat to trim.
"A lot of eating out more than we should have, (going) into the grocery store without a plan," he remembered.
He and his wife downloaded the budget app EveryDollar, and share the account between them.
It's a zero-balance budget system, meaning they plug in the money coming in for the month and account for the expenses going out.
"As an adult, I have to say 'no' to myself, and I can't just give in like my seven-year-old would and say I want it now, because I am not seven," Wayman said with a laugh.
Wayman said the app makes him and his wife feel in control of their money, rather than reacting to it.
"That gives me a lot of peace of mind," he said.
Kimberly Palmer with NerdWallet said that despite budgeting apps having a common goal, they're all different.
"It really just depends on how you like to manage your money," Palmer said. Nerdwallet published their 8 Best Budget Apps for 2022.
Other popular apps include Mint, YNAB and HoneyDue.
"The first question to ask yourself is if you want a free app, or if you want to pay for more bells and whistles?" Palmer said.
Next, are you comfortable sharing your credit card and bank account information so the app updates automatically? Or do you prefer to enter your spending on your own?
Finally, how much detail do you want, and do you want alerts?
"Start with one (app) and try that out for two weeks. See if it's giving you insight that is helping you," Palmer suggested.