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February 15, 2011

Bundle – Financial Exploration & Money Management

If you’ve ever wondered how your personal spending habits match up with your neighbors, then Bundle is a web-app that can answer those questions once and for all. Part financial exploration tool, part money management application, Bundle offers statistical data based on location-based trends that people can use when setting their own budgets and tracking their own financial goals.

To set goals, track expenses, and curb bad spending habits, click on the “My Money” link and register for a free account. Add information for all the bank accounts, loans, and investment portfolios you’d like Bundle to track – similar to the way you’d add banking information on Mint.com – and a list of all your current spending habits will appear consolidated on one main screen. Manually categorize all of your latest purchases to create an even clearer picture of where your money is going. Bundle makes it possible to set monthly budgets, and creates custom graphs and charts that make it easy to see how you’re doing at any given time during the month.

Of course, the great part about Bundle – and the feature that really sets it apart from competing money management apps – is its comparison tools. Using financial data culled from credit card companies and government sources, Bundle allows its users to compare their spending patterns and monthly income to people in any city nationwide. Financial data can be broken down even further by selecting for age group, marital status, and income level. This information makes it easier to set accurate budgets that people can really stick to.

Practical Uses:

  • Keep track of how much money you’re spending on fast food each month
  • Creates budgets to help set aside money for a European vacation
  • Find out how your monthly spending compares to other singles in your zip code
  • Increase the amount of money you’re putting into retirement and savings accounts

Insider Tips:

  • Get better comparisons by selecting for income level, marital status, and age
  • Upload login information for all the loans and bank accounts you’d like to track
  • Bundle will automatically import transaction data and account balances from various banking institutions in real time
  • Create custom budget categories or use those recommended by Bundle

What we liked:

  • Adding new bank accounts is easy, and it can be done in just a matter of minutes
  • Unspent money from one budget category can be “shuffled” to any other category
  • Monthly spending graphs can be broken down to show spending on a day-to-day basis
  • Budgets made with Bundle are more accurate, because they can be based on actual data of how other people nearby are spending their money

What we didn’t like:

  • Bundle doesn’t have any features for tracking stock portfolios, which could be something that financially savvy users would be interested in

Alternatives:

Company Info:

  • Launched: January 2010
  • Privately Held
  • Headquarters: New York, New York
  • Founded by: Jaidev Shergill
  • Web site: http://www.bundle.com

Costs:

  • Free

Comments

  1. Thanks for this interesting review. I like the feature that allows to compare your monthly spending with other peers in your zip code. The online personal finance software I’m currently using https://www.inexfinance.com/ doesn’t offer this, although it has its own merits like for instance multiple currency support.

  2. I wonder if this app allows users to export their data to printer friendly formats, but I have to admit the features look really appealing to someone who is interested in getting my personal finance managed, thanks for sharing!

  3. When I need to manage my own finances, I used to use a spreadsheet program like Microsoft Excel to track my expenditures. I think I will try out this online app to manage my spending and compare my expenses with others in my area. Since I would be up loading my personal bank information, I hope the site does not get hacked.

  4. Greetings from Ohio! I’m bored to tears at work so I decided to browse your blog on my iphone during lunch break. I love the info you provide here and can’t wait to take a look when I
    get home. I’m amazed at how fast your blog loaded on my phone .. I’m not even using WIFI, just 3G
    .. Anyhow, great site!

  5. A really interresting personal finance manager : http://www.flowzr.com . The Android app work even offline and is open-source. The web app offer Google Drive integration of the picture you took so you can archive receipts and invoice. Good budgeting and archiving solution.

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