Goodbudget (Envelope Budgeting)

Goodbudget digitizes the classic envelope budgeting method: you allocate cash amounts to virtual envelopes at the start of each month, spend from them as you go, and cannot exceed an envelope without consciously choosing to move money from another. The system is the most tactile budgeting method available in app form and is particularly effective for people who respond better to visual representations of money remaining rather than abstract numbers. Unlike most budgeting apps, Goodbudget does not connect to bank accounts — you enter transactions manually. This friction is intentional and documented: manual entry creates awareness that automatic syncing does not. Cost: free for 1 device/10 envelopes; $10/month for unlimited. Best for: cash-based households, people recovering from debt, or anyone who has tried automatic-sync apps and found the disconnection from their spending too great.