Spendbook Review

Secretly, I doubt anyone wants to keep track of their finances. All too often it's a stark reminder that one's bank balance just isn't as high as one would like. Having said that, tracking transactions is very useful in making one realize that spending a ridiculous sum of money on old movies and cake isn't always wise. Or at least that's what I hear, because there's no way that I do that. No way at all.

Spendbook is a simple yet effective solution to tracking such things. With a look that suits iOS 7 perfectly, Spendbook keeps things simple and clean yet still offers plenty of opportunity to include all the relevant information about day-to-day living.

It takes mere seconds to enter any transaction, with both income and expenses a matter of just tapping on the plus sign to the side of the screen. A series of categories are then made available and they're actually quite practical. Everything from food and housing expenses, to coffee and book purchases are easily accessed here. In the unlikely case that one wants to add a different category, it's easy enough to change things around, too.

Once various transactions have been added, it's easy to see at a glance what's going on financially. On the app's splash screen, the available balance is provided with a swipe downwards highlighting individual transactions. Those transactions offer some power of their own too, being easily repeated at regular junctures (ideal for the same monthly bill or daily coffee treat), as well as having the option of including photos of a purchase.

Further analysis thanks to the plethora of charts and bar graphs on offer are handy, too. At a glance, one can see exactly where the bulk of their money is going. Whether that happens to be on essential living expenses or more frivolous purchases gradually adding up. Again, it's all easily viewed through a series of swipes, plus it's quickly divided up into a weekly overview as well as monthly, which is pretty handy.

Throw in multiple account support and the option of exporting content as a CSV file, and Spendbook is very handy. Working out one's finances is never going to be fun but with this app, it can be quick and convenient.