We’ve all seen those internet advertisements (or Facebook posts) that say something along the lines of “22 Ways a 22-Year-Old Can Save Money!” or “13 Easy Ways to Manage Your Finances!” As a lifelong dependent, I never really saw any reason to look into them. I just wrote it off as being some general knowledge, only advertised in an appealing way. But if that were, the case, we wouldn’t see those advertisements/posts as much as we would. Naturally, we can deduce from this that people (people under the age of 30, to be more specific) are stressed out or, at the very least, a little worried about how to successfully manage their finances.
That being said, someone, somewhere thought it might be appropriate to help them take a step in the right direction. That someone was Aaron Patzer, and his idea of a step in the right direction was a service called MInt. Mint is a “web-based personal financial management service” that was created in 2006. By 2010, Mint was connected to U.S. and Canadian financial institutions, and supported more than 17 million financial accounts.
"Mint is versatile enough to help anyone’s money make sense without much effort. There’s no wrong way to use it, and nothing to lose in getting started. You’ll be surprised how life-changing something so simple can be."
These are some strong words straight from the company’s website. Easy to use and effective to boot. Let’s read further…
“It’s free and easy to get started, and we connect to almost every US financial institution connected to the internet. In just minutes, you’ll see where your money is going and get ideas on how to stretch it farther.”
“Mint automatically updates and categorizes your information. From your bank accounts and credit cards to retirement accounts and more—we’ll crunch the numbers as they happen so you know where you stand.”
“Because Mint helps you watch/manage your money; Mint will also help you find savings along the way. We analyze thousands of checking, savings, credit card, brokerage, CD and IRA rollover offers—then make recommendations that could help save you the most based on your lifestyle and goals.”
Insightful, but they still beat around the bush for someone who is new to the site and the app. So, to put it simply:
“The more accounts, cards and bills you link, the more we can help you do. See what you have and what you owe. Understand where money goes and where you can cut back. Create budgets, track investments, discover new ways to save and more.”
Looks like Mint can take the place of that one older friend you have that you go to for practical life advice for time to time. Not only that, but for those who have only been independent for a short period of time, using Mint means it’s possible to cut back on the phone calls to parents regarding the best way to budget their earnings. I asked a friend of mine what she thought about Mint, and she said that it has been extremely useful in the day-to-day scheme of things when it comes to monitoring her finances.
Mint is easy to use, you can get it on your phone, and it can help you with an issue that’s of utmost importance for anyone who lives by their own means. Here are a few more perks to wrap things up. You can:
Create budgets that make sense today and set you up for success tomorrow.
See bills and money together, so you know what’s due, when it’s due and what you can pay.
Receive alerts for unusual account charges, and get custom tips for reducing fees and saving money.
Get your free credit score and learn how you can improve it now to get the things you want later.
Check out the app if you want to make keeping your finances in check a little bit easier. This is especially important if you’re a young adult and seek to budget things properly without having to go to that older friend or call up your family members. Maybe next time you see those advertisements, you won’t feel the urge to click on it, because this time around, you’ll feel comfortable handling it yourself.
