PearBudget lets iPhone users take control of their finances

Wouldn’t it be great if you could enter your receipts right into your iPhone right when you make a purchase and then have that information automatically reflected in your monthly budget? With PearBudget, you can do just that. PearBudget is a web-based tool designed to help you take control of your personal finances that you can access using your iPhone from anywhere (or your iPod touch on wi-fi). Unlike most financial management applications (like Quicken or Microsoft Money), PearBudget cuts out the features that most people don’t use and concentrates solely on expense tracking and budgeting. The end result is an incredibly powerful calculation engine that underlies a beautifully simple user interface that’s almost a joy to use. It only takes ten minutes to set up, and ongoing maintenance is easy. If you are new to personal financial management, or just plain overwhelmed by your finances then give PearBudget a try and get some money back into that bank account of yours. PearBudget is available for a free no-risk, 30-day trial (no credit card required), then only $3 a month after that. Read on to find out why we think $36 a year is a great deal for this awesome finance tool.

PearBudget was not designed by programmers or bankers. It was created by two information designers, Charlie and Sarah, who were looking for a way to easily manage their own budgets. PearBudget was born five years ago as a spreadsheet that was eventually posted online. After a hundred thousand downloads and press coverage in the Wall Street Journal and Popular Science, they decided to turn it into a web application. Their backgrounds in map design, typesetting, and web design are evident in PearBudget’s simple, intuitive interface.

Setting up and using PearBudget involves three easy steps.

1. Make a list of things you spend money on.
2. Estimate how much you think you spend on each category each month.
3. Enter your receipts each month for what you actually spend.

You can enter your receipts as you go so you don’t have too many to enter all at once, a task made very easy with the iPhone.

People often think budgeting is really complicated. PearBudget simplifies it.Plan your budget. Enter your receipts. Review your spending. That’s it.

In addition to being dead simple to set up and maintain, PearBudget offers customizable spending categories, security, and the ability to export your data in CSV format. And because PearBudget is resident on the web, you can access it from anywhere and you never have to worry about losing your data because of a computer crash. PearBudget is also very flexible in that it can handle your regular monthly spending in addition to your unplanned, irregular spending. All items in your budget can be tagged to help you organize and sort your expenses.

PearBudget is also very affordable. A lot of people will squawk about the $3 per month fee and point to free services like Mint or Wesabe. However, PearBudget beats all the competition when it comes to expense tracking and budgeting, especially if you need the mobile access. For us, $36 a year is a bargain for a tool that helps us get a handle on our budgets so we have more money in the bank. And if you still have any doubts, try the 30-day free trial and see for yourself, risk-free, no strings attached.

PearBudget
www.pearbudget.com

 

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