Money Management

Many people set savings goals for the new year. Find out why one writer hopes to put aside an additional $5,000 next year. 

We’re already near the last few days of 2023, which makes now the ideal time to outline financial goals for the following year. If you have yet to consider what personal finance goals you want to tackle in 2024, it’s not too late to get planning.

As for me, I hope to stash more money in my high-yield savings account. After reviewing my savings progress from this year, I’ve decided I want to save an additional $5,000 in 2024. Let me explain why.

1. I want to continue building my emergency fund

An emergency fund is a valuable financial tool. Handling a costly, surprise bill is easier when you have extra cash in the bank. Building a sizable emergency fund takes time, though. While I’ve worked hard to grow my emergency savings this year, I haven’t finished saving yet.

Life continues to get more expensive, and I want to be well-prepared if something unexpected happens. The last thing I want to worry about is racking up costly credit card debt. By boosting my savings goal, I’ll feel more comfortable about being able to handle anything that comes my way.

2. I’m boosting my retirement contributions

These last few years, I’ve done an excellent job of prioritizing saving for my eventual retirement. But I still feel as if I have work to do to catch up. Like many young adults, I had minimal extra cash to contribute to my IRA account throughout my 20s. Now that I have more money to prioritize this goal, I plan to boost my retirement account contributions.

For this reason, I’m setting aside more money in my savings account. Why? I like to have these funds sent to my savings account regularly to ensure I don’t accidentally spend them before they are sent to my retirement accounts. I also have multiple retirement accounts, so this strategy keeps things more organized for me.

3. I hope to increase my income

As a self-employed freelance writer, I have more control over how much I earn than the average employee. I can set higher goals for myself and put in the work to increase my income. I hope to continue to increase my income in 2024. Since I’ll likely make more, putting extra cash in my savings account will be possible. I don’t want to waste my extra earnings.

Do this to stay on top of your savings goals

You’re not alone if you hope to reach your savings goals in 2024. Saving more money is a common goal for people of all ages. But when life gets busy, it can be easy to be forgetful. You may spend all your extra money, rather than transferring it to your savings account.

One tip to help you meet a goal like this is automating your savings. Through your bank’s mobile app or website, you can set up automated savings contributions so you don’t have to manually transfer money from your checking account to your savings account. Doing this can make saving effortless and less stressful. I follow this strategy myself — and it works.

One final suggestion: Keep your savings in a bank account that earns interest. Interest can help you reach your savings goals sooner. For this reason, I keep my savings in a high-yield savings account instead of my checking account. Review our list of the best high-yield savings accounts to find the right account for your needs.

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We’re firm believers in the Golden Rule, which is why editorial opinions are ours alone and have not been previously reviewed, approved, or endorsed by included advertisers.
The Ascent does not cover all offers on the market. Editorial content from The Ascent is separate from The Motley Fool editorial content and is created by a different analyst team.The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.

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If you’re not sure what to do when Mint shuts down in 2024, we’ve got you covered. Read on for five budgeting apps that could replace it. 

Before my wife and I were using Mint, we were tracking our expenses in a spreadsheet. As you can imagine, this was pretty chaotic, especially since we had different credit cards and had to rely on the other person to manually log expenses. Often, we were grossly off — restaurant tips, which appear after a transaction has stopped pending, were notoriously lost — but we weren’t aware of how badly we were budgeting until we had an app tracking the expenses for us.

Now that Mint is closing up shop on Jan. 1, 2024, we’re in the market for another budgeting app (we don’t want to use Credit Karma). We have a few apps that we’re test-driving to benefit our personal finances, but we haven’t landed on a proper replacement yet. If you find yourself in the same situation, here’s a roundup of the best alternatives that we’re considering.

You Need a Budget (YNAB)

Best app for: Comprehensive budgeting

Cost: $14.99/month or $99/year

You Need a Budget is a budgeting app that follows a zero-based budget philosophy. In other words, it encourages you to assign a “purpose” to every dollar you earn, leaving you with $0 at the end of the month. Like Mint, the app can sync all your financial accounts, like bank accounts and credit cards, and allows you to share the budget with another person. It’s one of the best alternatives to Mint, though it’s not free and it could take you some time to learn how to use it.

Goodbudget

Best app for: Simple budgeting

Cost: Free or $8/month (or $70/year)

If you don’t need to sync all your accounts in one app, Goodbudget could be an affordable option. This app lets you create different spending categories — like housing payments, gas, and food — and sets maximums for each. The app is affordable (it has a free version, too), but since it doesn’t monitor your credit card usage or link to your checking account, you’ll have to manually input your expenses. That’s only a step above doing this in a spreadsheet, which is one reason why my wife and I have chosen not to use it.

Qapital

Best app for: Automating your savings

Cost: Free or $3 to $12/month

For those who used Mint to hit savings goals, you might find a good companion in Qapital. This app links to your checking accounts and credit cards and encourages you to move money into a separate savings account. It has a number of “Rules” you can activate to help you hit your goals, like the “Round-up Rule,” which automatically rounds up charges on your credit cards and transfers the extra change into your savings. Money can be transferred out of the account for free, and you can pay a monthly subscription or choose to use the free version.

Zeta

Best app for: Budgeting for couples

Cost: Free

Zeta is the best alternative if you share Mint with a partner or spouse. The app can sync all your personal and joint bank accounts, track expenses and transactions, and remind you of upcoming bills. It also lets you create multiple budgets and set shared financial goals. Since Zeta is designed for couples, it has more account-sharing tools than Mint does. And better yet, it’s free to use, so long as you can deal with the in-app advertisements.

Rocket Money

Best app for: Money management and credit reporting

Cost: Free or $3 to $12/month

Rocket Money is a money management app that shares many of Mint’s features. The app lets you connect all your financial accounts, and it helps you track spending, create detailed budget categories, and automate your savings. The app also gives you access to your credit reports and alerts you of big changes. Rocket Money has a free version, but for more robust tools, you’ll have to pay a monthly subscription.

The demise of Mint isn’t the end of mobile budgeting

Mint was one of the best budgeting apps, but its termination doesn’t mean you have to go without one. The apps discussed above could be good alternatives, but if they didn’t pique your interest, check out our list of best budgeting apps for more options.

All in all, you don’t have to go back to the spreadsheet. Try out some of these apps and see which one will best fit your budgeting style and financial goals.

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We’re firm believers in the Golden Rule, which is why editorial opinions are ours alone and have not been previously reviewed, approved, or endorsed by included advertisers.
The Ascent does not cover all offers on the market. Editorial content from The Ascent is separate from The Motley Fool editorial content and is created by a different analyst team.The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.

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If you have an Instacart+ membership, you get access to a new streaming service perk at no extra cost. Find out what’s included as a membership benefit. 

Grocery delivery services boomed in popularity in the early days of the pandemic. Many shoppers have continued to embrace this convenient service to save time in their busy lives. Instacart is one such example of a well-known grocery delivery app that shoppers use.

Investing in a paid membership like Instacart+ allows frequent grocery delivery users to save on service fees and get free delivery. But a membership like this can also provide additional benefits. Instacart+ subscribers can now also access a streaming service for free.

Don’t miss this new Instacart+ perk

In addition to the other benefits of Instacart+ (more on those below), there’s a new perk to enjoy. Instacart recently announced a brand-new partnership with the streaming service Peacock. All Instacart+ members now get free access to Peacock Premium at no extra cost. This streaming plan offers access to ad-supported movies and TV shows.

The standard subscription rate for Peacock Premium is $5.99 per month or $59.99 annually. But Instacart+ members pay nothing. If you like having access to multiple streaming apps but hate how quickly subscription costs eat away at your bank account balance, don’t miss out on this new benefit.

Grocery delivery can help you save time and stay on budget

Grocery delivery services can be well worth the cost for those short on time. When life gets busy, juggling your personal, professional, and household responsibilities can be challenging. Getting your groceries delivered to your home can shorten your to-do list and ease stress.

These services can also help you avoid overspending. When you use services like Instacart, you must assemble your order before delivery. As you fill up your virtual shopping cart, you’ll see the price of each item, making it easier to honor your weekly shopping budget as you shop.

These services may also help you minimize impulse spending on unnecessary items, allowing you to waste less money. When you’re shopping in person at the grocery store, it can be tempting to add items you don’t need to your cart, resulting in a more costly grocery bill. With so many benefits, it’s easy to see why this has become a favorite service for many people.

Instacart+ offers benefits that are a win for frequent customers

Instacart+ costs $9.99 monthly or $99 yearly to join. Without this membership, customers pay delivery fees and higher service fees on their orders. These fees can add up fast for those who place frequent grocery delivery orders.

But with this paid membership, you can enjoy free delivery on eligible orders of $35 or more and lower service fees. Members also get 5% credit back on qualifying pick-up orders.

If you’re considering getting your groceries delivered, you may want to review the benefits of a paid grocery delivery membership like Instacart+ to see if it’s worth joining. It’s a good option if you use the service on a regular basis.

With the addition of Peacock Premium, an Instacart+ membership offers even more value and may make the cost worthwhile. Not having to pay for another streaming app is a win for your wallet. For additional ways to save money, take a look at our free personal finance resources.

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We’re firm believers in the Golden Rule, which is why editorial opinions are ours alone and have not been previously reviewed, approved, or endorsed by included advertisers.
The Ascent does not cover all offers on the market. Editorial content from The Ascent is separate from The Motley Fool editorial content and is created by a different analyst team.The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.

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Need a great gift for a special sports fan? Read on to see how Costco could come to your rescue. 

Some people whip out their credit cards at Costco regularly for things like groceries and household essentials. But with the December holidays rapidly approaching, you may want to turn to Costco for more than just food and paper towels — you may want to make it your go-to source for your various gifts.

It especially pays to look at Costco if you want to buy gifts for the sports fans in your life. Here are a few fun items worth checking out.

1. Arcade1Up NBA Jam Partycade 3 Games in 1

Have a basketball fan you want to spoil this holiday season? Consider this mini arcade from Costco. It features three different NBA games, full-sized arcade controls, and multiple setup options. You can put it on top of a table or mount it on a wall.

It’s available online only for $149.99, which means you won’t be able to seek out savings by buying it in a store. But if you can swing the price, you might make someone’s Christmas extra special. Shipping and handling is included in that price, too.

2. Baseball tickets

There’s nothing like the experience of watching a Major League Baseball game live. You get the roar of the crowd, the smell of stadium food, and a world of excitement.

Costco is selling baseball ticket packages for multiple teams including the Milwaukee Brewers, Pittsburgh Pirates, and Chicago White Sox. Your cost will vary based on your home team, but it’s worth looking online and at your local Costco store to see which teams and games are available. You might save a bundle of money compared to buying tickets at the ballpark or through an online service.

3. Selkirk Prime Max Pickleball Bundle

Pickleball is all the rage these days. If you have a budding fan in your life, consider buying this pickleball bundle from Costco. It includes a pair of paddles, balls, and a convenient storage bag. For $79.99 online, it’s certainly not a cheap find, but you can check your local warehouse club store for a lower price.

4. Little Hotties Hand Warmers, 80-pairs

Many parents spend their weekends glued to the soccer, baseball, or football field cheering their kids and their youth sports teams on. But when the weather gets cold, an otherwise pleasant experience could turn brutal.

These hand warmers, however, could really come to the rescue on those days when it’s so cold you can barely feel your hands. Costco is selling an 80-pack online for $34.99. These also make a great gift for someone you know who might have season tickets to a cold-weather sport like football.

Remember, Costco’s prices can vary between what’s listed online and what’s available at the store, so always compare your choices when a given product is sold through both channels. The holidays can be expensive, but if you take the time to do some research, you may find that you can eke out a little savings.

Alert: highest cash back card we’ve seen now has 0% intro APR until 2025

If you’re using the wrong credit or debit card, it could be costing you serious money. Our experts love this top pick, which features a 0% intro APR for 15 months, an insane cash back rate of up to 5%, and all somehow for no annual fee.

In fact, this card is so good that our experts even use it personally. Click here to read our full review for free and apply in just 2 minutes.

Read our free review

We’re firm believers in the Golden Rule, which is why editorial opinions are ours alone and have not been previously reviewed, approved, or endorsed by included advertisers.
The Ascent does not cover all offers on the market. Editorial content from The Ascent is separate from The Motley Fool editorial content and is created by a different analyst team.Maurie Backman has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends Costco Wholesale. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.

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