With EveryDollar - You Give Every Dollar a Job

Creating a budget is one of the most elementary premises of personal finance. There is no denying that a budget can help you build an effective ‘expenditure plan’ that allows you to give every dollar a name.

Not many people understand the importance of having a spending plan; they don’t realize that it can significantly help them track where all their money is going. EveryDollar is personal budgeting software that assists users in giving EVERY dollar a name or a job and provides a plan for accomplishing their financial goals.

EveryDollar budget app was created by Dave Ramsey – a personal finance expert – with an aim to make the budgeting process more straightforward for people who don’t finance savvy and help them attain the financial position and freedom they always desired.

Based on the ‘zero-sum budget’ founding principles, Ramsey’s every dollar software aims to “assign every dollar a job.”
As explained earlier, this can help you in knowing where exactly all your money is going as everything is accounted for ahead of time.

Further in this in-depth EveryDollar review, we will be answering every question that you may have regarding the software, including its features, pricing, pros and cons, and additional services.

What Can You Do with EveryDollar?

Plenty of things!
However, in this EveryDollar review, we have narrowed down the topics to our top six choices:

• Build monthly budgets
• Track expenditures
• Add due dates to your bills
• Easily check budget throughout the month
• Build funds to attain your savings goals
• Use on multiple devices

Bonus: It helps you accomplish Dave Ramsey’s 7 Baby Steps faster (learn more about it further in the review).

EveryDollar Highlights

Not sure how to deal with your financial problems, feeling stuck with your finances? Dave Ramsey’s budget tool EveryDollar can help you build a custom budget to save dollars, build wealth, and pay off liabilities.
This zero-based budgeting software is recommended by top personal finance gurus like Rachel Cruze, Anthony ONeal, and Chris Hogan.

Moreover, you can use the EveryDollar budget app on your desktop and mobile (Android and iOS). Meaning, this budgeting tool goes wherever you go, making it super easy for you to plan your finances from anywhere in the world.

Dave Ramsey’s 7 Baby Steps

EveryDollar budgeting app uses David Ramsey’s seven baby steps to meet your financial goals faster. Hence, once you set up all your income and expenditures in the app, you can easily see where you stand in Ramsey’s Baby Steps journey. These steps can significantly help you get out of debt and create wealth.

The 7 Baby Steps are:

1. Save a thousand dollars for an emergency fund.
2. Pay off all liabilities utilizing Ramsey’s debt snowball method (your mortgage is an exception from this).

What is a debt snowball method?

You make a list of all your debts from the lowest to the highest (except a mortgage, if any). Once this is done, you take off a bit of extra money and start paying off the lower debt of all, while at the same time, you pay the bare minimum on the rest of the debts.

3. Save three to six months of outlays – Now that you got rid of your debts, don’t get too relaxed. Instead of splurging all that extra cash now, it will be much better to put aside the exact amount you once paid for a debt. Now, this money can act as an emergency fund and save you from falling back into debt again.

4. Save fifteen percent of your income for retirement days.
5. Create a college tuition fund for your children.
6. Pay off your home – As we mentioned earlier, pay off everything but the mortgage. This step is the only thing standing in between you and a free-off-debts life. All of the extra cash that comes in your hand invest it into paying off your mortgage. This, in reality, would save you more than hundreds, even thousands of cash in interest.
7. Create wealth and give – This last step lets you have all the fun for yourself and the ones around you. Since the previous steps settled things into order, this step lets you earn and make more savings – this time just for you and your loved ones.

Are There Any Fees? Is EveryDollar free?

Many people are asking whether EveryDollar is free? Let us be the messengers of good news: Yes, it is FREE!
Even though other versions of the app charge users, the standard version is free and very much competent in producing lucrative budgets.

Ease of use – how is the user experience?

EveryDollar’s user-friendly and straightforward interface is one of the leading reasons why so many are inclined towards this particular budgeting tool. Moreover, in terms of ‘ease of use,’ EveryDollar has an excellent rating of 8.5 – which speaks for itself.

Continue reading this EveryDollar Review to learn more about the pricing of the app itself.

Is Your Money Safe?

Yes, with the EveryDollar app, your money is a hundred percent safe as there’s no money on deposit. Nonetheless, you may find the buying options a bit strange at first. The payment option (via credit card) is purposely tough to locate as the app’s founder does not think it’s good to use credit cards. In addition to this, the budgeting tool utilizes a multi-layered security approach that ensures user data’s total protection.

Is EveryDollar Worth It?

If you are experiencing a hard time in saving money or paying off liabilities, Ramsey’s EveryDollar can lend you a hand.

By being embraced in the Ramsey+ bundle—subscribers receive access to various products and services that no other budgeting software can match.

Device Accessibility

EveryDollar software works effortlessly on iOS, Android, and the web (desktop and mobile compatible).
There’s one thing you need to know: This app is not made to permit multiple users to share the same account.

Tools and Resources

EveryDollar budget app utilizes some of the best financial tools to help users stay focused and track their financial journey.

Some of the featured tools used by Ramsey’s EveryDollar are:

• Debt Calculator
• Mortgage Payoff
• Investment Calculator

Card Synchronization

The standard EveryDollar version doesn’t provide synchronization service to users. Nonetheless, if you have the paid version known as ‘EveryDollar Plus,’ you can easily synchronize bank accounts with saving and expense categories. This way, you would not have to do a manual update of your account; the app would take care of it for you automatically.

EveryDollar Features

EveryDollar Pricing

A standard EveryDollar version is a good option for people searching for easy, ‘back-to-basics’ budgeting software. This free version allows users to enter their transactions manually.

However, if you wish to utilize the software’s full functionality and automatic sync options (import transactions directly from your bank account), you should be prepared to pay up.

The basic year-long charge for the Ramsey+ plan is $129.99. After you take advantage of their free fourteen-day trial (the best value is $239.96), you get to save forty-five percent. In addition to this, it also offers the following packages:

• 3 Months – $59.99 (you have to make a renewal every three months).
• 6 Months – $99.99 (you get to save nineteen percent from the initial price of $239.96). This package requires a renewal every six months.

Nonetheless, you can still benefit from the EveryDollar budget app’s free version as it is still a very competitive budget planner.

How to Use EveryDollar

How Does EveryDollar Work?

In this EveryDollar review, we are going to help you understand how this extremely simple yet incredibly effective budget tool works in 8 steps:

Step #1: Create an account via EveryDollar’s official website.
To create the account, you should enter your name, email address, country, Zip Code state and think of a strong password.

Note: Presently, the EveryDollar budget app is available only to people living in the United States and Canada.

Step #2: Once you register for the account on the website, you would receive a confirmation email. Click on the ‘verify’ button, and you are ready to budget.

Step #3: The software comes with eight spending categories; however, you can create your own categories if you wish. Also, you can establish savings accounts known as “funds” in EveryDollar for emergencies or plans.

Step #4: In the next step for every category, you can enter the amount that’s “planned.” For instance, you can enter your current balance and savings goals for things like an emergency fund.

Step #5: EveryDollar allows you to make notes within every category. Additionally, you can track transactions and even change categories into funds.

If there is a category that you use and update often, the app provides you with the option to add it to your “Favorite” category to stay at the top. Please note that when you convert a category into a fund, it automatically becomes a savings goal.

Step #6: Next to the “Planned” option of every category (which is how any user starts budgeting) is the “Remaining” option.

You can be switching between the “Remaining” feature – the default setting, and the “Spent” feature to check how much of the budget has been utilized.

Step #7: Now that the account is all set up, it is time for maintenance.

If a user has the paid version, known as EveryDollar Plus, they can easily synchronize their bank accounts with spending and funds categories. Due to this feature, the accounts automatically update on their own.

Compared to the ones using the free version, every update will have to be done manually. Moreover, the EveryDollar budget tool displays if a user’s spending is on or off track with the help of graphs and illustrations.

Step #8: Only when all your income and outlays are established can you assess where you stand in Ramsey’s 7 Baby Steps journey (mentioned earlier in the article).

Please note that EveryDollar is currently offering discounts on the EveryDollar Plus package. The price after a discount for a one-year package is $129.99 (before discount $239.96), and the discounted price for a six-month package is $99.99 (before discount $239.96).
In addition to this, the platform also accepts the EveryDollar Plus voucher code.

EveryDollar Alternatives

Each of the budgeting mentioned above apps has different target audiences and outstanding features. While each software uses different budgeting techniques, there is no good or bad approach to it but rather about which approach suits the user most.

EveryDollar has often been deemed the best budgeting software for finance amateurs trying to establish a budget effectively. On the other hand, YNAB deals with more complex users looking for detailed budgets and complex everyday transactions. Moreover, Mint provides users with the option of basic upkeep of finances free of cost.

Pros and Cons

Pros

• The app has a user-friendly interface, making it easier for people to wrap their heads around it.
• It consists of features and tools that cater to people striving to be debt-free.
• The app connects users looking for advice on important financial information with local experts.
• EveryDollar is ad or recommendation-free, making the entire budgeting experience easy and pleasing.

Cons

• The basic version has to be updated manually.
• It can’t be synced to your bank account or credit cards.
• The updated version of the app costs $99 per year. However, it is not that expensive. Still, numerous other budgeting apps are providing the same service for less price.

EveryDollar Customer Reviews

With no further ado, let’s have a look at some more satisfied and less satisfied users of this budget application. I would, however, remind you to have an open mind about this. Since in the end, all these are personal experiences – what works for one doesn’t necessarily work for the other.

Positive Customer Reviews

Candy Troutman – April 2, 2021 – 5 star

The best, most simple budgeting app out there. Started with the free version and moved up to the subscription. Budget balances at your fingertips. It even tracks your sinking fund by category. Couldn’t be happier.

Tracy Curry – March 30, 2021 – 5 star

I love this app! Since July 2020, I’ve been using the free version of this app to handle our family budget. I know where every penny of our income goes. I love being able to set a budget but then easily adjust it as life happens so that we still live within our means. Some people might find it tedious to type in each transaction (if you do, I guess you could get the paid-for version), but I enjoy it because it makes.

Steve Ketterhagen – April 2, 2021 – 5 star

Excellent and life-changing for us. VERY easy to use. It has a few glitches, but still learning some of the advanced areas of the program.

Negative Customer Reviews

Carolyn

I have been using EveryDollar Plus ($99) for 9 months. If the free version allowed automated bank transactions into the budget, it would be ok, but it doesn’t. Paying $99 is not worth it because there are many problems/limitations with the software. In addition to the syncing feature not working properly (many of my transactions don’t show up in my budget), and the fund option also doesn’t work properly, there is no capability to change the email address on your account. I know this sounds absurd, but it is true. I will not receive any notifications from them anymore (i.e., my account will be debited in March $99 unless I cancel – pretty important notification), and if I forget my password, or if I can’t access my account for any reason, I can’t even reset my password because the verification would go to my old email address which I can’t access. Customer support leaves a lot to be desired and is only available during the week from 8 am – 5 pm.

Jerrold Huber

The technical support for everydollar is abysmal. I’ve had several problems with their (terrible) bank sync. Each time their customer service is slow to respond and always ends with me going in and fixing everything myself. When it duplicated over a month’s worth of transactions, that took a few hours. They are useless.

Shana

I was excited to use everydollar, but I’m beginning to seek alternatives (after 2 months) for 2 reasons; the fund feature is difficult to understand – the contributions I make toward the fund aren’t featured as deductions to the balance, but additions and it’s difficult keeping track for an entire month, rather than a pay period.

Conclusion

To wrap up, EveryDollar gives a job to every dollar you make. Thus, being perfect for debutant users of this kind of budget apps or people that never had anything to do with finances whatsoever. We did our best to make brief comparisons between EveryDollar and other such apps; you were also able to weigh the pros and cons of the application named.

Furthermore, you have an idea of how you can operate this user-friendly, simple-of-the- kind finance management app and keep a soundtrack of every dollar you ever made and will make.

We certainly hope this EveryDollar review gave you all of the missing answers regarding this budget-friendly tool.