While the leaves are preparing to drop into one of the most fashionable seasons, let’s discuss falling into a dazzling budget. Since the coronavirus outbreak, many have been left to survive off of unemployment for the last few months.

After Governor Ned Lamont discontinued the $600-weekly unemployment benefit in July, things have gotten a bit more challenging for some. With many heads of households still trying to provide for their families despite possible work layoffs, closings and reduced work hours, saving money has become extremely difficult when there is little to no income being brought in.

Though it may seem impossible to save right now when some employees may be receiving as little as $100 a week from unemployment, I have equipped you with some smartphone apps that can help you while you get back on your feet.

Digit

Digit is a great method to save your money, especially if you may have a hard time learning how to save. With the application, users can create different personal savings goals with the option to have their bills paid for them.

Though access to your card is needed, Digit offers security software, notifications through daily text messages or emails about your current balance and what caused balance changes. Despite the amount of your monthly income, Digit guarantees you savings by withdrawing small increments of cents daily, or larger amounts, to whatever is in your bank account and the goal you may be trying to reach.

The monthly $5 fee is just a small ask for the major savings it offers. If life gets hard, Digit will catch your account before there is any possible $32 overdraft fee and your money can easily be withdrawn instantly for 99 cents or the standard three business days with no fee.

Bankrate.com

Acorns 

Investing may not be the route you’r thinking of due to the difficulty of understanding stocks and bonds, but Acorns helps educate its users with simple explanations. If you’re looking to invest in a future of generational wealth for yourself and your family, Acorns is the way to go.

While access to your credit card is mandatory, the benefit is with every purchase you make. The app rounds each purchase to the next dollar and places the extra change into your account. Once your spare change reaches five dollars, the company invests that money into future and later investments.

Future investments are qualified as money that cannot be touched for a specific amount of time while your funds go into one of the aggression’s of your choice: Conservative (no risks, invested into well-performed stocks and bonds like Verizon), Moderately Conservative (slight risk, investing into medium companies for five to 10 years such as Nestle), Moderate (medium risk with companies like Amazon, Microsoft and Apple), Moderately Aggressive (high risk investing into 500 of the largest U.S. companies) and Aggressive (the highest risks of investment into the 500 U.S. companies, international, medium and small company stocks).

Later investments are simply for retirement but don’t wait too long to invest; the younger you are, the better. All these can simply be done for just$3-5 a month based on the plans you choose. It’s time to think smarter.

Ibotta 

Ibotta is not like Digit or Acorns because this app isn’t about investing or strategically saving. Ibotta is made for advent shoppers and just about anybody who does shopping from grocery stores, like Walmart, Whole Foods, Sam’s Club, and even clothing stores, such as Old Navy, Lane Bryant, JcPenney’s and American Eagle.

Your money becomes available through simply scanning your receipts and earnings will follow. Even though it may sound as little as 50 cents for each item, the money truly adds up, especially when you refer your friends. The best part is there are no monthly fees.

ibotta.com