BITS + PIECES
BUDGETING APPS STOP FIGHTING WITH YOUR BANK ACCOUNT. WORDS KAILI MILLER
It’s always nice to treat yourself to a night in the city or a little shopping spree—but we’ve all had those mini heart attacks when we remember the scary-low numbers in our bank accounts. Well lucky for you, with these money managing musthaves, you’ll be on your way to a well-budgeted life within the tap of an app.
Subscriptions for Life SKIP THE TRIP TO THE DRUGSTORE—FIND THESE EVERYDAY ESSENTIALS ON YOUR DOORSTEP. WORDS MADI KOETTING | PHOTO ALE DIAZ | DESIGN FATIMA CALDERON
BILLIE: Listen up, women: This razor subscription service is made just for you— but it has more than cute packaging to offer. The razors are infused with aloe gel and soap to hydrate skin and combat pesky razor burn. Every month, you’ll receive four five-blade razor cartridges for $9 total. You can even customize your delivery based on how often you shave. Find at mybillie.com.
THE PILL CLUB: Who knew that birth control could be fun? Every month, The Pill Club sends you a little blue package containing your monthly dose of the pill along with fun freebies like laptop stickers, skincare items, condoms, and even chocolate. This service is covered by most insurance companies and is as little as $20 for three months’ worth without insurance. Find at thepillclub.com.
QUIP: This compact, electric toothbrush is all you need to maintain healthy gums. Brushing too hard or forgetting to replace your brush head every two to three months can result in poor oral health. And so became Quip: an electric toothbrush with just the right levels of vibration to fight gum irritation. Quip sends new brush heads every three months for just $5, so your brushing routine stays squeaky clean. Find at getquip.com or at Target.
LOTUS BOX: No one truly enjoys their period, but this period kit from Lotus Box makes having your period an extra excuse to take care of yourself. Starting at $15 for one month, you’ll receive a box with items like candles, panties, chocolate, or heating pads. Make that time of the month something to look forward to by treating yourself to fun goodies. Find at lotusbox.net.
6 | fall + winter
THE PAINLESS SAVER We’ve all been told to invest, but where do we start? With Acorns, it’s easy. After every purchase, Acorns automatically rounds up the change to the next dollar and invests it for you. For example, if you spend $10.20 on pizza, Acorns would invest 80 cents. You can transfer this money to your bank account after you’ve reached your savings goal, or see it grow over time in the market. Pro tip: if you want to see your savings rack up even quicker, make regular deposits over time on top of those automatic investments. With Acorns, saving comes naturally—plus, it’s free for all college students! A BALANCED BUDGET If you’re someone who has an app for banking, an app for tracking bills, and an app for managing credit cards, then Mint is your new best friend. This multi-purpose app will send you weekly updates when payments are due and when you’re being charged extra fees. You’ll also receive money saving tips customized to your spending habits. Forget having to remember multiple logins. Try just one with Mint. ALL-IN-ONE BANKING Knowing how much you’ve spent and what you have left to spend is always nice, but is it doable? With Simple, yes. This online banking and savings app allows you to create savings goals for certain areas of spending like vacations, eating out, or gas. You can also choose how often money is transferred into each expense. Simple organizes charts and reports to track your spending, so you can identify areas you might need to cut back on. There’s even a feature allowing you to add photos of receipts and notes to transactions to remember certain purchases. This app makes banking for your budget “simple.”