While you undoubtedly face many challenges as a military member, if managing your finances has been one of those challenges, it no longer has to be a source of stress and confusion. There are a variety of budgeting apps and services available to make handling your personal finances as simple as possible. 

Learn how to save more money every month and create a military family budget with these top budgeting apps for military families:

Military Personal Finance Apps

1. AWM&T Financial Dashboard

Manage your financial accounts with ease. The Personal Financial Dashboard from AWM&T houses all of your information under one login to simplify the process for you. Get real-time updates on transactions and account balances, and track and integrate all of your accounts, including insurance, investments, retirement, and banking. 

 You Can: 

• Create a customized budget to help you control spending;
• Securely track asset gains and losses in near real-time across your entire portfolio;
• Monitor your asset allocation and net worth; and
• Manage cash flow by setting custom alerts.

You don’t need to download a separate app to access AWM&T’s Financial Dashboard.

First you will need to acquire a username and password from AWM&T by requesting more information or by emailing [email protected] directly. Once you have a username and password, simply click here to get started.. 

2. Mint

Access everything you need in one easy-to-use interface. From the creators of QuickBooks and TurboTax, Mint provides you with an analysis of where your money is being spent and determines the best ways to save or invest your remaining cash. 

Mint is considered one of the best budgeting apps available because of its clean user experience. By connecting all of your bank accounts and credit cards, you no longer have to sign in to multiple websites to get a financial update. Set up alerts for upcoming bills to avoid late fees and interest charges, stay up-to-date on amounts you owe so you can devise a realistic payment plan, and get access to your real-time credit score. 

Over time, Mint analyzes your spending habits and provides personalized advice that can help you gain more control over your money. 

3. You Need a Budget (YNAB)

If budgeting isn’t your strong suit, YNAB should be the very next app you download to your phone. Unlike a basic budget tracker, YNAB actually teaches you how to prioritize and plan, so you have money for the things that are most important to you. YNAB’s goal is to help users stop living paycheck to paycheck, and help them pay down their debt with the guidance that “every dollar has a job."

YNAB’s built-in accountability feature ensures you stay on track. In addition, they offer online budgeting classes where you can ask experts specific personal finance questions. Although it is a paid service, the app touts that it is so efficient, its typical user pays off $500 debt dollars in the first 30 days alone! 

Check out the YNAB military discount for even greater savings. 

4. AFAS Budget Builder

This free budgeting tool was developed by the Air Force Aid Society to help Airmen and their loved ones create a military family budget and track their expenses. With the AFAS Budget Builder app, you have the ability to search and sort transactions, and get real-time disaster alerts with information on how to apply for assistance. You can also set spending limits for specific categories to prioritize where your money goes. 

5. Military Pay

Thanks to the Military Pay app from Military.com, you no longer need to rely on complicated tables and charts in order to calculate your service pay. The Pay App continually updates military pay rate information, including BAH, BAS, and special pay—all you need to do is enter your information and the app does the rest. 

By having a clear picture of your earnings, you can properly budget, save, invest, and make other sound financial decisions. 

6. MyCommissary

Creating a budget is only a first step in the process of improving your financial health. To see results, you’ll actually need to stick to the plan. That’s where Commissary Rewards can help. 

As part of the Defense Commissary Agency’s reward coupon card program, the MyCommissary portal allows you to search and add coupons to your Commissary Rewards account, look at previously saved coupons, find your local commissary, and see hours and contact information.

Redeeming coupons is as simple as entering your phone number at checkout.

Additional Budgeting Tips for Military Families

Becoming a budgeting whiz doesn’t happen overnight, but utilizing some of these military personal finance apps can help your military family start learning how to appropriately spend and save money. 

Beyond testing out some new apps and services, here are other budgeting tips to help improve your family’s financial health:

• Get rid of your debt. Set up automatic payments for loans to ensure you aren’t racking up interest charges and late fees. 
• Build an emergency fund. Dedicate a certain amount of each paycheck to a rainy day fund that can be used for unforeseen circumstances, like medical events or home damage due to natural disasters. 
• Take advantage of military benefits. The military provides servicemembers and their families with a variety of benefits, ranging from free healthcare to legal assistance to affordable education through the GI bill. 

Work with AWM&T to Create a Military Family Budget

Want to take your financial goals to the next level? The Relationship Managers at AAFMAA Wealth Management & Trust are ready to work with you to plan your financial future. We offer a variety of services to help you budget, save, and invest more efficiently in order to achieve your short- and long-term financial goals. Call 910-390-1933 or contact us online for more information about how AWM&T and help you today. 

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