In a modern world of technological reliance (okay, addiction), it can be all too easy to assume that we have everything in order without feeling the need to check. This applies to our finances just as much as any other area. Printed bills and bank statements are less and less common. Even our receipts can be paperless now, sent directly to our e-mail inboxes never to be seen again. 

If you’re reading this and nodding, you aren’t on your own here

Whatever amount you earn, you need to know where you stand financially in order to effectively build the life you want. This is even more crucial when you are in a relationship with someone. Ensuring that you both feel comfortable and secure within your financial arrangements is part of creating a healthy and happy future. In fact, our first study here at the Couple Summit, we found evidence that not discussing money was one of the biggest regrets married and divorced couples had. These apps are exactly what can kickstart your money conversations.

Here are the top 5 apps to help you cultivate financial bliss within your relationship: 

1. HoneyDue 

Described as the ‘money management app for couples’, HoneyDue is the digital tool you never knew you needed yet soon won’t be able to live without. The app is designed to make shared finances easier by tracking bills, bank balances, and spending to offer a clear image of your situation. By having such a clear reference point for where your money is going, you can discuss how to overcome challenges and create smart saving plans. Not only that, but it’s also an easy to use interface design - oh, and it’s free

2. YNAB (You Need A Budget)

 The super successful ‘You Need A Budget’ app is one of the world’s most popular financial management apps for very good reason. Grown from a belief that debt doesn’t have to stick, this app is designed to help individuals (and couples) to free themselves from living pay-check to pay-check and to loosen the anchors of debt also. Been telling yourself that you are a couple who ‘aren’t good with money’ and similar? Let YNAB change the narrative. With helpful tips and encouraging messages when you progress, it’ll become the banking cheerleader you didn’t know you needed. This is not for the passive couple type - but if you were one of those, you wouldn’t be here reading this article…

3. Personal Capital 

Smart squirrels with saved cash you’d like to do something smart with? Let the Personal Capital app help you both out. The in-app ‘Robo-advisors’ that come with this particular app can help you make wise choices about how to manage your money, including how and when to tackle debt and savings. With the New York Times heralding it as the ‘money tool to beat’, you can feel confident that you’re in safe hands. Wonderfully simple to use and extremely helpful to even the least financially confident couple. What’s not to love?

4. HoneyFi 

Unlike some money apps that are non-specific in terms of client, HoneyFi has been specifically and consciously designed to suit and support couples. The geniuses behind the app describe it as ‘the app that helps couples save money, pay down debt, and get ahead’. Sounds good to us - and it works! You can create handy lists of items you’re specifically saving for, such as a wedding or a home, which can make it easier to carve out a finance plan together. Link your accounts to help you communicate and keep track of shared spends and saves. Knowledge is key with finance. The more you have access to, the better. Which is where HoneyFi steps up perfectly!

5. Twine 

By their own admission, this is an app (ever so romantically) built for two. Perfect for any couple who are embarking upon a journey of setting up some strong financial plans! With this handy and beautifully designed app you will be able to work together to get your accounting in order. Set up automatic deposits to take some of those ‘to-do’ items off of your monthly list. Invite your partner to join you in savings ventures. Collect together the handy advice that the app provides which has been created in response to your individual account activity. The best feature this app holds is the capacity to estimate how long it might take to reach the goals you set together, such as savings targets. By doing so, the app can intelligently provide the support you need to get to where you want to go together.

As well know, life doesn’t tend to turn out quite as we expect. This is very often a wonderful thing, with positive experiences and incredible people arriving into our lives that we might never have previously envisioned. However, sometimes we may face unexpected challenges that can cause our financial position to take a hit. When we are in a relationship with someone we truly love, this can become a strain that is extremely difficult to navigate.

With economic challenges being implicated as one of the most common causes for divorce, it’s important to get ahead of your money management before you face potential crisis. Set aside core savings with the help of apps like these. Talk to financial advisors that you trust. Lay out your paperwork and work out how you can better your position. Do whatever you can to ensure you can survive a potential crisis. 

Doing so could potentially save your relationship later down the line. 

Embrace financial management for what it is, a task that demonstrates your heartfelt care for one another. In the same way that a bird builds its nest for its family and a lioness fiercely defends its young, you are taking the necessary steps to ensure your home and your relationship is safe and secure. Consider the helpful apps within this article as the tools with which you can build your loving, safe haven together.