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100 Personal Finance Tools for Your Post-College Life

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Making the transition from college life into the working world can be exciting and one of the best times of your life. It also comes with a whole host of financial challenges as well, as many students are now paying for everything in their lives for the first time, trying to make ends meet and dealing with the loads of debt accumulated from four years of college. You don’t have to go through it all without any help or guidance, however, as the web is full of tools that can help you track, budget, learn about finances and more. Here are 100 of these tools to get you started on your path to financial responsibility and hopefully success.
Creating a Budget
Learning to live on a budget can make a big difference in your financial future. Here are some tools that make creating a budget and monitoring your spending easy.
  1. BillMonk: Keep track of what you owe to others as well as ensure that you’re paid what you’re owed as well using this tool.
  2. Budget Tracker: Use this tool to track how much you’re spending, saving or doling out each month for bills.
  3. Art of Saving: This social network is dedicated to helping you learn to save before you spend.
  4. Geezeo: This online financial community will let you connect with others while you manage your money.
  5. What Bills?: Check out this site to track, manage and remind yourself about all the bills you have to pay so you’ll never be late.
  6. BudgetPulse: This site promises to be a "free and upbeat" way to watch all of your finances and keep you on track.
  7. ExpenseView: Here, you’ll be able to create graphs that show you where your money is going each month.
  8. JustBudget: Create and monitor an online budget easily with this helpful tool.
  9. Plan2Spend: Use this tool to track what your monthly expenses are so you can plan and prepare for them.
  10. Spending Profile: If you want a graphic representation of your spending, this site makes it easy to see where your money is going.
  11. Bill Minder: With this tool you can keep a checklist of what bills have come in and which have been paid so you stay on top of what you owe.
Tracking Your Money
Keep your eye on where every last penny of your paycheck goes with these helpful finance tools.
  1. mint: This site is one of the most popular for tracking and monitoring where your money is going each month. It links up all your accounts so you have easy access to all of them at once.
  2. Buxfer: Through this tool you can keep track of all the money you have going in and out.
  3. MoneyTrackin’: Keep track of your expenses, see how you spend your money and create a better budget through this online finance site.
  4. iOweYou: If you’re sharing household expenses with a roomie, this site will let you easily keep track of who owes who money.
  5. Dimewise: For a small fee you can use this online tool to manage all your financial information from one spot.
  6. Expensr: With features that let you graph your monthly spending, this tracking tool offers a lot for a free resource on the web.
  7. Foonance: This site uses the concept of a “money store” to help you figure out your monthly expenses.
  8. Mvelopes: Take your money management in a pretty basic direction with this tool that creates online “envelopes” for saving, expenses and emergencies.
  9. Shoeboxed: If you can’t keep your important receipts organized, let someone else do the work for you. This site will scan them for you so they’re easy to access.
  10. Buddi: Even if you have no financial knowledge you’ll be able to use this great financial tracking tool to manage your budget.
Calculators
These calculators can help you figure out the numbers on your loans, determine how much you can save each month and more.
  1. Loan Calculator: This calculator takes into account your loan size and interest and lets you know how much you’ll need to earn to pay them off without difficulty.
  2. Student Loan Calculator: Check out this site to find out how much your monthly loan payment will be.
  3. Loan Benefits Program Calculator: Find out if any of these loan benefits can help manage your debt through this free tool.
  4. Federal Loan Consolidation Calculator: Is consolidation right for you? Learn whether or not you should do it by using this calculator.
  5. How Much Will You Pay?: This tool will let you know how much you’ll end up paying on your loan depending on the size of your monthly payment.
  6. How Much Can You Save?: If you have no idea how much you can even save per month then this calculator can help you to more easily figure it out.
  7. Savings Calculator: This calculator will show you just how fast saving can add up.
  8. Monthly Budget Calculator: Use this tool to establish a reasonable monthly budget.
  9. How Much Am I Spending?: Do you have any clue how much you’re really spending each month? This calculator can help you figure it out.
  10. Salary.com: Find out if you’re being paid what you’re worth at your job with this salary calculator site.
  11. What is your net worth?: This calculator will help you figure out what you are worth, debts, assets and all.
Shopping Smart
Don’t blow your hard earned money. Instead, find the best deals and bargains hrough these sites.
  1. Retailmenot: Check out this site for deals and coupons so that you’ll never pay retail price again.
  2. PriceProtectr: Ever buy something only to have it go on sale the next week? This site can help protect you from price changes.
  3. Coupon Cabin: Through this site you’ll find coupons on just about everything.
  4. PriceScan: Here you can price compare a wide range of products online so you know you’re getting the best deal possible.
  5. Coupons.com: Chances are good this site will have a coupon on at least one thing you’re in the market to buy.
  6. mShopper: Don’t get ripped off just because you’re not at home to price compare. Use this mobile tool to stay informed on the go.
  7. GottaDeal: This site contains a large list of daily deals you can take advantage of.
  8. Discount Patrol: This social site allows users to post deals and share them with others, including you, so you all shop smarter.
  9. Ebates.com: Buy things through the online retailers listed on this site and you’ll get money back for shopping online.
  10. MakeLifeEasy: Instead of buying things randomly at the grocery store, use this shopping list creator to make a list and stick to your budget.
  11. Yapta: Through this tool you can monitor airline prices to ensure you get the best ticket deal possible.
Community Support
If you’re feeling a little overwhelmed by taking the financial reins in your life, check out these online finance communities where you can get great advice and support.
  1. Wesabe: Follow your finances and get help from others in this online community. You’ll be able to better manage your money and get advice from others at the same time.
  2. Zopa: If you need a loan to get your ideas off the ground post-college, check out this site that does small person-to-person loans.
  3. Tip’d: Join this community to get access to financial news, tips and ideas.
  4. Prosper: Through this site you can invest your money in others or get money to use for your own business ventures– from people not banks.
  5. Covestor: If you don’t know much about investing, use this site to follow others who do and see how they manage their accounts and holdings.
  6. ZeccoShare: Share investment advice and tips with others on this community site.
  7. UpDown: Use this site to practice investing in the stock market so you’ll be a pro when it comes time to do the real thing.
  8. Investing Minds: Put your head together with other investors in this site that encourages sharing advice and information about investing.
  9. I Hate Debt: Join this community to share tips, ideas and support about conquering debt.
  10. ClearPoint: This site offers a blog, a way to share you debt stories and tools to help you pay them off.
  11. NetworthIQ: Track, share and compare your financial information to that of others in this online community.
  12. SaveMoney.com: Learn how to save big on everything from this community site.
Conquering Debt
Many students are graduating college with a mountain of debt to pay off and without a high paying job to make that easy. Here you’ll find an assortment of resources designed to help you combat that debt and start saving more.
  1. Debt to Income Calculator: Find out if the debt you’re incurring will actually be manageable on your income with this helpful tool.
  2. How long will it take me to pay off my balance?: If you have a hefty credit card balance this calculator will show you just how long it will take to pay.
  3. When will you be debt free?: Debt can dominate your life for years. Learn when you’ll have yours taken care of from this tool.
  4. Debt Help: If you’re having trouble managing your debts, visit this site for some immensely helpful resources.
  5. Credit Card Optimizer: Find out how you can get the best deals on paying off your credit cards through this site.
  6. billeater.com: Use the information on this site to better understand how to save money paying off your bills.
  7. Destroy Debt: This site is designed to help you get out of debt and stay out of it.
  8. Myvesta: Create a debt management plan through this site that can help you pay down your debts a little bit at a time.
  9. Credit.com: From getting a credit report to managing your debt, this site is full of resources to help you manage your credit.
  10. Care One Credit Counseling: Those who need a little help finding out how to tackle their debt can find it here.
  11. Make Love, Not Debt: These bloggers discuss how to manage finances and debt as a couple.
Informative Blogs
Get a free financial education through the advice and information posted in these blogs.
  1. Consumerist: Find out what you need to know in order to make smart consumer decisions through this site.
  2. PF Advice: Get some really great financial advice on a wide range of topics from this site.
  3. No Credit Needed: If you went a little crazy with credit cards in college here you can find advice on how to pay them off and get out of debt.
  4. Wise Bread: This site offers some useful advice on living more frugally.
  5. Cash Money Life: Learn how to make the most of having a steady job and income from this blog.
  6. StopBuyingCrap: Most people like to have new things, but those things could be costing you more than they’re worth. learn how to buy less and save more here.
  7. The Simple Dollar: Even financial newbies can find information that is helpful on this site.
  8. Get Rich Slowly: Get rich quick schemes are almost always bad ideas, so this blog offers advice on how to do it the right way.
  9. I Will Teach You to Be Rich: Take the advice of this blog to heart to save big and make smart financial decisions.
  10. Saving Advice: Learn more about ways to save from this site
  11. Free Money Finance:This site offers to help you improve your net worth the smart way.
Investments
Check out these resources to learn how to make the most of your money through investment opportunities.
  1. Stock Option Calculator: If your new job offers you stock options, plug in the numbers here to see how it’ll work out.
  2. Investment Returns: See how different investments will pay off over time with this tool.
  3. When will I recover my fund costs?: Find out when your investment will pay off using this tool.
  4. Stock Cloud: This tool makes it easy to track and find information on your stock picks.
  5. Which bond is better?: If you plan on investing in bonds, find out which is best for you using this calculator.
  6. Zacks Investment Research: Get ratings, research and recommendations from this site.
  7. MarketWatch Community: Use this site to find out the information you need to make smart investment choices and enjoy a lively online community of investors.
  8. Zecco Share: This site is a community based way to learn about the stock market and get tips on hot picks.
  9. The Motley Fool: Not only is this site a great source of information, it allow allows users to get advice and track their own investments as well.
  10. Wikinvest: This wiki can teach you about companies, the foundations of investing and a whole lot more.
  11. My.WallSt.net: Create an account on this site to share information about investing and to learn more from other investors.
  12. Investopedia: This site can keep you up-to-date on the latest news as well as teach you some of the basics about investing.
Finance Education
If you really feel like you don’t know as much as you should about how the financial world works, pay a visit to these free courses and e-books to learn more.
  1. Family Finance: This course is offered free from USU and can help you learn how to manage the finances of just you, a household or an entire family.
  2. Financial Security for All: Michigan State University offers this course that’s all about educating you on the financial issues that will have a big impact on your life in your post-college years.
  3. Planning for a Secure Retirement: It’s never too early to start planning for retirement and this course from Perdue can help ensure you’re setting yourself for some peaceful golden years.
  4. Real Estate Finance and Investment: Whether you want to invest in real estate developments or just buy your own home this course from MIT can help you learn the ropes.
  5. Taking Control of Your Finances: This government booklet is designed to help people both young and old learn to make smart financial choices.
  6. Entrepreneurial Finance: Check out this course from MIT to learn the ins and outs of what it takes to manage a business’ finances. Many lessons can be applied to your personal finances as well.
  7. Personal finance: Debt and borrowing in its wider context: This course through OpenLearn will help you learn more about debt, loans and what you can expect when you borrow money.
  8. Fundamentals of Personal Financial Planning: This course from UC Irvine proves that you don’t have to be a financial planner to be able to make smart decisions about your money.
  9. Money 101: Take a look at this CNN guide. It will help you learn about everything from creating a realistic budget to the importance of saving.
  10. Investing in Your Future: Read through the material posted on this free Rutgers course to learn how to manage your finances like an old pro and even manage investments.
  11. Building Wealth: A Beginner’s Guide to Securing Your Financial Future: Even if you know little about managing money this e-book will teach you the fundamentals.
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Making the transition from college life into the working world can be exciting and one of the best times of your life. It also comes with a whole host of financial challenges as well, as many students are now paying for everything in their lives for the first time, trying to make ends meet and dealing with the loads of debt accumulated from four years of college. You don’t have to go through it all without any help or guidance, however, as the web is full of tools that can help you track, budget, learn about finances and more. Here are 100 of these tools to get you started on your path to financial responsibility and hopefully success.
Creating a Budget
Learning to live on a budget can make a big difference in your financial future. Here are some tools that make creating a budget and monitoring your spending easy.
  1. BillMonk: Keep track of what you owe to others as well as ensure that you’re paid what you’re owed as well using this tool.
  2. Budget Tracker: Use this tool to track how much you’re spending, saving or doling out each month for bills.
  3. Art of Saving: This social network is dedicated to helping you learn to save before you spend.
  4. Geezeo: This online financial community will let you connect with others while you manage your money.
  5. What Bills?: Check out this site to track, manage and remind yourself about all the bills you have to pay so you’ll never be late.
  6. BudgetPulse: This site promises to be a "free and upbeat" way to watch all of your finances and keep you on track.
  7. ExpenseView: Here, you’ll be able to create graphs that show you where your money is going each month.
  8. JustBudget: Create and monitor an online budget easily with this helpful tool.
  9. Plan2Spend: Use this tool to track what your monthly expenses are so you can plan and prepare for them.
  10. Spending Profile: If you want a graphic representation of your spending, this site makes it easy to see where your money is going.
  11. Bill Minder: With this tool you can keep a checklist of what bills have come in and which have been paid so you stay on top of what you owe.
Tracking Your Money
Keep your eye on where every last penny of your paycheck goes with these helpful finance tools.
  1. mint: This site is one of the most popular for tracking and monitoring where your money is going each month. It links up all your accounts so you have easy access to all of them at once.
  2. Buxfer: Through this tool you can keep track of all the money you have going in and out.
  3. MoneyTrackin’: Keep track of your expenses, see how you spend your money and create a better budget through this online finance site.
  4. iOweYou: If you’re sharing household expenses with a roomie, this site will let you easily keep track of who owes who money.
  5. Dimewise: For a small fee you can use this online tool to manage all your financial information from one spot.
  6. Expensr: With features that let you graph your monthly spending, this tracking tool offers a lot for a free resource on the web.
  7. Foonance: This site uses the concept of a “money store” to help you figure out your monthly expenses.
  8. Mvelopes: Take your money management in a pretty basic direction with this tool that creates online “envelopes” for saving, expenses and emergencies.
  9. Shoeboxed: If you can’t keep your important receipts organized, let someone else do the work for you. This site will scan them for you so they’re easy to access.
  10. Buddi: Even if you have no financial knowledge you’ll be able to use this great financial tracking tool to manage your budget.
Calculators
These calculators can help you figure out the numbers on your loans, determine how much you can save each month and more.
  1. Loan Calculator: This calculator takes into account your loan size and interest and lets you know how much you’ll need to earn to pay them off without difficulty.
  2. Student Loan Calculator: Check out this site to find out how much your monthly loan payment will be.
  3. Loan Benefits Program Calculator: Find out if any of these loan benefits can help manage your debt through this free tool.
  4. Federal Loan Consolidation Calculator: Is consolidation right for you? Learn whether or not you should do it by using this calculator.
  5. How Much Will You Pay?: This tool will let you know how much you’ll end up paying on your loan depending on the size of your monthly payment.
  6. How Much Can You Save?: If you have no idea how much you can even save per month then this calculator can help you to more easily figure it out.
  7. Savings Calculator: This calculator will show you just how fast saving can add up.
  8. Monthly Budget Calculator: Use this tool to establish a reasonable monthly budget.
  9. How Much Am I Spending?: Do you have any clue how much you’re really spending each month? This calculator can help you figure it out.
  10. Salary.com: Find out if you’re being paid what you’re worth at your job with this salary calculator site.
  11. What is your net worth?: This calculator will help you figure out what you are worth, debts, assets and all.
Shopping Smart
Don’t blow your hard earned money. Instead, find the best deals and bargains hrough these sites.
  1. Retailmenot: Check out this site for deals and coupons so that you’ll never pay retail price again.
  2. PriceProtectr: Ever buy something only to have it go on sale the next week? This site can help protect you from price changes.
  3. Coupon Cabin: Through this site you’ll find coupons on just about everything.
  4. PriceScan: Here you can price compare a wide range of products online so you know you’re getting the best deal possible.
  5. Coupons.com: Chances are good this site will have a coupon on at least one thing you’re in the market to buy.
  6. mShopper: Don’t get ripped off just because you’re not at home to price compare. Use this mobile tool to stay informed on the go.
  7. GottaDeal: This site contains a large list of daily deals you can take advantage of.
  8. Discount Patrol: This social site allows users to post deals and share them with others, including you, so you all shop smarter.
  9. Ebates.com: Buy things through the online retailers listed on this site and you’ll get money back for shopping online.
  10. MakeLifeEasy: Instead of buying things randomly at the grocery store, use this shopping list creator to make a list and stick to your budget.
  11. Yapta: Through this tool you can monitor airline prices to ensure you get the best ticket deal possible.
Community Support
If you’re feeling a little overwhelmed by taking the financial reins in your life, check out these online finance communities where you can get great advice and support.
  1. Wesabe: Follow your finances and get help from others in this online community. You’ll be able to better manage your money and get advice from others at the same time.
  2. Zopa: If you need a loan to get your ideas off the ground post-college, check out this site that does small person-to-person loans.
  3. Tip’d: Join this community to get access to financial news, tips and ideas.
  4. Prosper: Through this site you can invest your money in others or get money to use for your own business ventures– from people not banks.
  5. Covestor: If you don’t know much about investing, use this site to follow others who do and see how they manage their accounts and holdings.
  6. ZeccoShare: Share investment advice and tips with others on this community site.
  7. UpDown: Use this site to practice investing in the stock market so you’ll be a pro when it comes time to do the real thing.
  8. Investing Minds: Put your head together with other investors in this site that encourages sharing advice and information about investing.
  9. I Hate Debt: Join this community to share tips, ideas and support about conquering debt.
  10. ClearPoint: This site offers a blog, a way to share you debt stories and tools to help you pay them off.
  11. NetworthIQ: Track, share and compare your financial information to that of others in this online community.
  12. SaveMoney.com: Learn how to save big on everything from this community site.
Conquering Debt
Many students are graduating college with a mountain of debt to pay off and without a high paying job to make that easy. Here you’ll find an assortment of resources designed to help you combat that debt and start saving more.
  1. Debt to Income Calculator: Find out if the debt you’re incurring will actually be manageable on your income with this helpful tool.
  2. How long will it take me to pay off my balance?: If you have a hefty credit card balance this calculator will show you just how long it will take to pay.
  3. When will you be debt free?: Debt can dominate your life for years. Learn when you’ll have yours taken care of from this tool.
  4. Debt Help: If you’re having trouble managing your debts, visit this site for some immensely helpful resources.
  5. Credit Card Optimizer: Find out how you can get the best deals on paying off your credit cards through this site.
  6. billeater.com: Use the information on this site to better understand how to save money paying off your bills.
  7. Destroy Debt: This site is designed to help you get out of debt and stay out of it.
  8. Myvesta: Create a debt management plan through this site that can help you pay down your debts a little bit at a time.
  9. Credit.com: From getting a credit report to managing your debt, this site is full of resources to help you manage your credit.
  10. Care One Credit Counseling: Those who need a little help finding out how to tackle their debt can find it here.
  11. Make Love, Not Debt: These bloggers discuss how to manage finances and debt as a couple.
Informative Blogs
Get a free financial education through the advice and information posted in these blogs.
  1. Consumerist: Find out what you need to know in order to make smart consumer decisions through this site.
  2. PF Advice: Get some really great financial advice on a wide range of topics from this site.
  3. No Credit Needed: If you went a little crazy with credit cards in college here you can find advice on how to pay them off and get out of debt.
  4. Wise Bread: This site offers some useful advice on living more frugally.
  5. Cash Money Life: Learn how to make the most of having a steady job and income from this blog.
  6. StopBuyingCrap: Most people like to have new things, but those things could be costing you more than they’re worth. learn how to buy less and save more here.
  7. The Simple Dollar: Even financial newbies can find information that is helpful on this site.
  8. Get Rich Slowly: Get rich quick schemes are almost always bad ideas, so this blog offers advice on how to do it the right way.
  9. I Will Teach You to Be Rich: Take the advice of this blog to heart to save big and make smart financial decisions.
  10. Saving Advice: Learn more about ways to save from this site
  11. Free Money Finance:This site offers to help you improve your net worth the smart way.
Investments
Check out these resources to learn how to make the most of your money through investment opportunities.
  1. Stock Option Calculator: If your new job offers you stock options, plug in the numbers here to see how it’ll work out.
  2. Investment Returns: See how different investments will pay off over time with this tool.
  3. When will I recover my fund costs?: Find out when your investment will pay off using this tool.
  4. Stock Cloud: This tool makes it easy to track and find information on your stock picks.
  5. Which bond is better?: If you plan on investing in bonds, find out which is best for you using this calculator.
  6. Zacks Investment Research: Get ratings, research and recommendations from this site.
  7. MarketWatch Community: Use this site to find out the information you need to make smart investment choices and enjoy a lively online community of investors.
  8. Zecco Share: This site is a community based way to learn about the stock market and get tips on hot picks.
  9. The Motley Fool: Not only is this site a great source of information, it allow allows users to get advice and track their own investments as well.
  10. Wikinvest: This wiki can teach you about companies, the foundations of investing and a whole lot more.
  11. My.WallSt.net: Create an account on this site to share information about investing and to learn more from other investors.
  12. Investopedia: This site can keep you up-to-date on the latest news as well as teach you some of the basics about investing.
Finance Education
If you really feel like you don’t know as much as you should about how the financial world works, pay a visit to these free courses and e-books to learn more.
  1. Family Finance: This course is offered free from USU and can help you learn how to manage the finances of just you, a household or an entire family.
  2. Financial Security for All: Michigan State University offers this course that’s all about educating you on the financial issues that will have a big impact on your life in your post-college years.
  3. Planning for a Secure Retirement: It’s never too early to start planning for retirement and this course from Perdue can help ensure you’re setting yourself for some peaceful golden years.
  4. Real Estate Finance and Investment: Whether you want to invest in real estate developments or just buy your own home this course from MIT can help you learn the ropes.
  5. Taking Control of Your Finances: This government booklet is designed to help people both young and old learn to make smart financial choices.
  6. Entrepreneurial Finance: Check out this course from MIT to learn the ins and outs of what it takes to manage a business’ finances. Many lessons can be applied to your personal finances as well.
  7. Personal finance: Debt and borrowing in its wider context: This course through OpenLearn will help you learn more about debt, loans and what you can expect when you borrow money.
  8. Fundamentals of Personal Financial Planning: This course from UC Irvine proves that you don’t have to be a financial planner to be able to make smart decisions about your money.
  9. Money 101: Take a look at this CNN guide. It will help you learn about everything from creating a realistic budget to the importance of saving.
  10. Investing in Your Future: Read through the material posted on this free Rutgers course to learn how to manage your finances like an old pro and even manage investments.
  11. Building Wealth: A Beginner’s Guide to Securing Your Financial Future: Even if you know little about managing money this e-book will teach you the fundamentals.