Goal Tracking and Habit Forming Apps to Build Your Financial Behavior

Updated: November 17, 2020

Good money habits are learned traits, people are not born with it. This is known as habit formation, and it’s developing a pattern that will become second nature after some time. Habits take time to stick. On average they become normal after 1-2 months. In 2020 we can utilize several habit forming apps to help us. These apps reinforce good behaviors that bring us closer to our goals.

With all the apps available, how do you find a good one? We’ve selected the following apps for their ability to keep you accountable and on track to good habit formation.

Strides

Availability: iOS

Cost: free

Strides is a fan favorite habit-forming app because it is very powerful while remaining one of the most user-friendly options. The app allows you to track a range of activities. To begin, pick a goal from the list or customize your own, and set a target. Then clarify the actions you will take to convert this goal into a regular habit. Goals can be monitored as frequently as daily, weekly or monthly. Your data is synced to your account so that it is accessible on your iPhone or computer. The information is presented on a dashboard that is easily customized.

Advantages:

• Adaptable interface with 4 unique types of trackers.
• The dashboard shows everything at first glance.

Disadvantages:

• Can be complicated for beginners.
• Not available for Android users.

Way of Life

Availability: Android, iOS

Cost: First three goals are free. There is a one-time cost of $3.99 for lifetime access to create more than 3 goals.

If you like your goal tracking apps with charts and graphs, Way of Life may be the app for you. The interface is simple and intuitive. Way of Life helps you build good habits and break bad ones. You choose a goal and let the app know if it’s a good or bad habit. The app will send daily notifications to track your actions taken to meet your goals. With time, the app will track trends in your behavior and your progression since day one.

Advantages:

• It tracks both good and bad habits.
• The interface is simple.

Disadvantages:

• You’re limited to three habits on the free version. To form any more habits, you’ll have to pay $3.99.

GoalsOnTrack

Availability: web, iOS

Cost: $68 a year

GoalsOnTrack uses the SMART (specific, measurable, attainable, realistic, and timely) method to develop and stick to your goals. The app lets you divide big goals into smaller ones to avoid being overwhelmed. It has unique animations available and has offline tracking, so you can record the length of time spent on tasks. GoalsOnTrack lets you follow your progress through a built-in journal. This is great for capturing non-standard or emotional responses as you achieve your goals. Unfortunately, the app is on the pricier side, and you must sign up online before using the app.

Advantages:

• Built-in forms ensure goal habits are SMART.
• There are templates for tracking goals.

Disadvantages:

• It is expensive.
• Not available for Android.

Coach.me

Availability: Android, iOS

Cost: Free for self-service. Hiring a coach costs $25

Coach.me stands out as a leading goal tracker app because of the extras it offers. You may pay for personalized habits and leadership coaching for a fee. Like most of the apps on this list, the interface is clear and easy to use. With Coach.me, you set up your goal and track your habits. You can earn rewards for consistency. The app connects you to a community, where you may ask questions and help encourage others.

Advantages:

• The app has a beautiful, simple interface.
• It allows you to hire a live coach to keep you on track.
• You have the support of a community of other users.

Disadvantages:  None listed.

Habitica

Availability: Android, iOS

Cost: free

If setting and achieving goals were easy, everyone would do it. For some of us, having to narrow down a goal and work toward it is difficult enough. It causes additional stress to our already busy lives. Habitica aims to turn this process around from taxing to fun. It makes habit forming easy and enhances productivity by using a tried-and-true method: gameplay. Habitica tracks your progress in such a way it feels like a video game. The app has built-in gaming features to keep the fun going. It offers rewards as incentives to ensure you do what needs to be done. There is a built-in social network platform, so you can invite friends and family, or set up friendly competitions. You may also use the network to build community support as you make your progress.

Advantages:

• The app makes habit forming fun through a game format.
• There is a social network platform for adding friends and family members also on the app or gathering community support.

Disadvantages:

• There is a lot going on in the app, so it is easy to be overwhelmed.

Conclusion

In today’s world, creating good habits (or breaking bad ones) can be challenging. You don’t have to do it alone. Using a habit-forming app, like one of those suggested above, can be a helpful tool to keep you on track. It may boost productivity, reduce stress, and just manage your habit-forming activities in an effective way. Consider adopting one of these apps even if you don’t think you need the help. You may find yourself enjoying the extra encouragement as you achieve your goals.

Roman Zelvenschi

I started a digital marketing agency Romanz Media Group Inc. 12 years ago. Running my own business quickly taught me the importance of cash flow. Making sales was not enough, I had to have money in the bank to pay the vendors, staff and personal bills.

During those early stages of the company I learned how to get creative with debt and to save on interest cost. I paid for everything I could with a credit card to both get more points and to extend the payment date by 25 days (credit card grace period). I then utilized a 0% balance transfer offers to rotate this debt.

I learned a lot during this process and made a lot of mistakes. My key lesson is that the most important part of being financially independent is how much I managed to save, rather than how much I earned. Staying disciplined with savings and tracking spending is not easy and I tried many different methods to stay on track.

FinancialFreedom.Guru is a side project where I and my staff are trying to share the practical knowledge on how to understand finances and to build wealth.