Popular apps help consumers manage finances - KTTC Rochester, Austin, Mason City News, Weather and Sports

MINNEAPOLIS -- We live in a world of constant convenience and when it comes to managing your finances, there's an app for that.

Meghan Wilker, the Chief Operating Officer for all things app at Clockwork Media Systems in Minneapolis, is talking about the app Mint.

The Mint app's origin is a web-based program that allows you to enter in all of your financial accounts and in turn it turns them into a dashboard of information.

"I don't have to do anything. Mint just knows what is happening in all of my accounts and anytime I log in its giving me the most up to date information," Wilker said explaining the app.

Mint does these things in real time. Things like categorizing you're spending and alerting you if an account is low.

It also lets you make plans for bigger things, like where to put money that will benefit you the most and what that would mean to your bottom line.

"So, you can really kind of play around with what if I spent my money in this way. What would the impact be on my money, that I like and I'm very visual," Wilker said.

Speaking of ease, every wanted to pay that baby sitter but you forgot to grab money?

The app for that is called Square Cash.

"It's person to person, debit card to debit card cash transfer," Wilker explained.

Square Cash lets you send an email, on the spot, to the person you need to pay.

All you need is their email address and your debit account on file with the app to make the transaction.

Pay Pal has an app that does nearly the same thing.

Managing money this way isn't wrong and it isn't the new 'right'. It's just new.

"Apps are good if that's what works for you. I mean the biggest thing is you want to find a system that works for you," financial planner Nicole Middendorf pointed out.

If an app like Mint reigns in your spending go for it, it's free.

The same can be said for Bill Guard; it's a free app that will comb through your credit card statements looking for anything fishy.

Check is a great app too; if paying bills on time seems to be an issue for you it will allow you to link to your bank account and pay bills as they come due, no dates for you to remember.

But key in all of this convenience is you.

"If you are really having issues with your spending and wanting to get your spending in control and your phone is always with you and you are looking for something different, I say try it," Middendorf said.

The apps we talked about here are all free so take them for a spin if it fits your financial fancy.