| Savings & Tips
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The season for gifting, traveling, and cooking has come to an end, and it finally feels like you’re getting back into the swing of everyday life. Everything seems to be getting back to normal…except your budget. If your New Year’s resolutions include spending less, saving more, or paying down debt, check out these useful smartphone apps.

Budgeting Apps: Get Help Tracking & Changing Your Spending

Goodbudget – Cost: FREE – Want to keep things simple? Say hello to Goodbudget, an app that’s based on the envelope budget system, where you put a certain amount of cash into different envelopes for the month’s expenses before you start spending. Goodbudget lets you keep all of your money in the bank, or wherever you want, and still use the envelope method. It’s great for budgeters who want to keep track of their cash flow, especially a cash flow that may be irregular.

PocketGuard – Cost: FREE – Ever wish you had a magic genie to tell you whether you could afford that new purse or the latest gadget? PocketGuard may be the next best thing! Once it’s synced up to your account, the app analyzes and automatically calculates your monthly expenses and income to predict what your finances are going to look like over time. Plus, it estimates how much you can spend before payday so you can better avoid overdraft fees, or if your budget allows—splurge!

Bills Monitor – Cost: 99 cents/month –  It’s easy to overlook bills during the excitement of the holidays. With Bills Monitor Pro, you can avoid being surprised by a bill or forgetting it altogether! This app allows you to track all your bills in one place by setting recurring reminders, tracking the status of bills, and logging everything you’ve paid. Bills Monitor Pro even creates pie charts to show you how your money is allocated across categories, which can help you identify places to cut back spending. (This app is only available for iPhone and iPad.)

Save More on Everyday Expenses

DynamicDrive℠ – Cost: FREE – If you’re a Direct Auto policyholder, you could join the DynamicDrive℠ Program and download the Routely app to share your driving insights. This could help you save instantly on your premium, and you could save even more at renewal if you drive responsibly.

Checkout 51 – Cost: FREE – This app will pay you back for doing something you’re already doing each month—buying groceries! Getting started is easy: download the app, snap a picture of your grocery receipt, and pick the e-coupons that match. Once your account reaches $20, you can request a check from Checkout 51! No coupon clipping required!

Other Ways Direct Can Help You Save

If you’re looking for other smart ways to save, Direct can help with that too! When it comes to affordable car insurance, Direct has you covered. With flexible payment plans, low rates, and low down payments, you can begin this year off on the right foot. Ready to get started? Get a free quote online or come into a Direct location near you today and find out how much you could save on auto insurance.

*DynamicDrive program is optional. It can help you tailor your insurance rate based on the actual driving experience of your account participants while using the Routely App. DynamicDrive is not available in all states. Maximum discount varies by state and product is subject to terms, conditions, and availability. Smartphone, App and account activation required.