The Definitive Guide to Living in the Capital , Cairo , Egypt

Image credit: Cottonbro

We live in a fast-paced world built on never-ending financial endeavours. We constantly earn, consume, and invest in a high-demand environment and rely heavily on credit and debit cards for everyday spending and long-term savings. We need to manage money for education, housing, retirement, and emergencies, as well as funds for shopping, holidays, gifts, everyday necessities, and leisurely purchases.

Sometimes we find ourselves overwhelmed with ample funds, other times we’re caught by surprise and stuck in a financial rut. It comes as no surprise that for the average proactive and future-thinking individual, tracking one’s expenses and managing one’s finances has become necessary to balance a life between spending and saving. Technology has found a way to incorporate itself to meet pretty much any human demand, and it is no exception that it is available to help organise our financial lives in the form of phone apps!

We scouted the best applications to help you manage your finances and reorient your spending and saving habits. Here are our top five…

1) 1Money

This “Expense Tracker, Money Manager and Budget” is an easy way to manage your finances and track your expenses. With colourful icons and a straightforward layout that makes it easy to manoeuvre through the app. You can add as many accounts as you need, and it tracks all of them quite accurately. 1Money is considered a life-changer for many of its users.

Available for Android on Google Play.

2) Monefy

A handy personal money-managing tool that is easy to use and, with an added pro feature, can be synced to Dropbox to update your finances without having to use a phone! The free version is without advertisements. Budget information can be added manually, so there’s no need to give the app any bank details. Monefy does a great job of keeping expenses under control in the simplest manner.

Available for Android on Google Play, and iOS on App Store.

3) Wallet

Another platform where you can keep track of all your accounts in one place and sync them together. You can review, learn, and adjust your spending by using predetermined categories as well as customise your own. The app works by breaking down your debit and credit card spending via statistics in coloured charts. The feature Wallet Now shows a simplified version of your accounts and bank connections.

Available for Android on Google Play, and iOS on App Store.

4) Money Manager Expense & Budget

This app by Realbyte.inc is great for those who wish to actively participate in the money management department by manually creating their own budgets and customising categories to fit individual lifestyles and demands.  It has a transfer feature, and you can sort transactions in ascending order or by card payment date. The app generally helps cut back on spending and reveals where most expenditure is taking place. It is lightweight, has a dark mode, and is fast and intuitive.

Available for Android on Google Play, and iOS on App Store.

5) Al Masareef

An Arabic app that helps organise finances securely and locate bad spending habits. The app works by adding your monthly salary, payday, and expenses in primary and secondary categories. You can also add monthly reminders of commitments such as bills, loans, and allowances. Al Masareef shows you how your expenses affect your savings, and its analytics feature that you can export and share with others or store away.

Available for Android on Google Play.