After a foray into the world of money management and budgeting tools, I have to say that YNAB looks to be pick of the bunch. If I end up sixty dollars in the black next month, I might just pony up for the full version.

I am growing more and more convinced that the reason a lot of people struggle with budgeting is because we live in a world that is too focused on accounts. Most people have more than one account, typically checking and savings at the very least. Some folks have two checking accounts – one for bills and one for everything else. On average most people have between three and six Savings Accounts based on what I see through webinars and coaching. They have one savings account for property taxes, one for emergencies and so on.

One of the golden rules of smart money management is to set up a budget and stick to it, right? Well, flying in the face of that common wisdom is this new study that shows sometimes budgeting backfires. More »

30 South today introduces Debt Snowball+ 1.0, its new debt tracking and bill notifications app for iOS devices. Designed specifically to help people get out of debt once and for all, Debt Snowball+ offers a plan for paying off debt where you list your debts from smallest to largest and then pay the minimum on everything but the smallest debt. Debt Snowball+ helps you see this in action by showing you how much time and money you can save by adding additional money each month to your debt.

PKSArena today introduces MoneyMan: Manage your expenses 1.0.1, their brand new financial app for iPhone, iPad and iPod touch devices. MoneyMan makes the task of expense/budget management easy by providing the user options to categorize transactions under different groups. Users can specify the mode of payment as well as store a picture of the receipt along with the transaction entry. More than one user can use the app on the same device.

One of the most common traps many people fall into when they get a new job—and in many cases, a raise along with it—is to let their lifestyle inflate to use that extra money as though they needed it. After a few paychecks, what initially felt like a healthy boost and a windfall suddenly is just another part of the budget, spent on some new service or habit. Instead, remmeber the old adage: "If you didn't need the money before, you don't need it now." More »

The #12ntcitbudget was excellent! Was difficult to keep up taking notes, but I tried: #12ntc

Dig in a little with the Mac OS X application Soulver. Spend 9 minutes learning how to use Soulver to create home budgets and project or travel cost estimates in two different styles.

Creating and sticking to a budget can be tough for some people, but one great way to make sure you don't overspend or succumb to the siren song of impulse purchases is to create a category in your household budget specifically for those types of purchases. Better yet, open an account specifically for it and keep that account's card or cash in your wallet for those times when you just want to treat yourself. More »

Almost an year ago we released the first version of MoneyWiz for iPad. It immediately attracted people's attention, as a really different kind of personal finance software. We originally didn't plan to make an iPhone and a Mac versions so fast, but the success of the iPad version convinced us otherwise. So, in another 4 months we've managed to create MoneyWiz for iPhone that works beautifully with its iPad brother. It was time to start the Mac version.

To celebrate Leap Year 2012, Fortora is holding a 2 day sale from February 28-29 on its award-winning money management software, Fresh Finance. Get Fresh Finance, the people friendly personal finance software for Mac and Windows, for 40% off! It's the simple yet powerful way to get your financial life in order. Easily manage your personal finances, such as balancing the checkbook, keeping track of credit cards, bill reminders, budgeting and more.