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Budgeting may seem like one of those boring things that few people actually do, but using a good iPad app can make budgeting both easy and fun. Creating and sticking to a budget can help you see where your money is going, stop spending money on things that don’t bring much benefit, and prioritise where you put your money.

If you’re not sure where to start, take a look at these three apps for managing a budget. Since they address different aspects of finances, you can use all three for a comprehensive approach to making a budget and sticking to it.

Mint.com [Free, iOS 5.0 or later]

The well-known Mint.com app offers a fresh, user-intuitive interface that tracks financial accounts and transactions a well as allows you to change existing data. This free service can automatically download and itemise your current and pending transactions. You can also manually add transactions, select a category, or add tags or notes for more detail.

If you’ve configured your budget, then the Mint app will update your budget accordingly. It sorts everything by category to show how you used money during the last few months. And, of course, it flags any areas where you’ve overspent your budget. The most satisfying part is seeing where you’ve stayed within your budget. Over time, as you learn to follow your budget, you’ll find extra money left over -- victory!

In addition, Mint provides an all-around snapshot for a more complete view of your financial health than most apps offer. You can also monitor all of your financial holdings, not just bank accounts; this includes savings, checking, investments, credit cards and retirement.

Agile Snowball [$2.99, iOS 5.0 or later]

This uniquely named app keeps track of your debt payments and analyses the best repayment scenario, such as which bill should be paid off first. The simple interface works well for managing multiple payments including credit cards, mortgages and car loans. It’s a great substitute for going to a consolidation service; if you’re trying to get out of debt, there’s no sense in paying more for the same result. And when it comes to money, few things are more rewarding than the feeling of freedom that comes with paying off the last debt!

GroceryIQ [Free, iOS 3.1 or later]

As the name suggests, this free app helps you use your money efficiently while grocery shopping by keeping track of your shopping lists and sending online coupons to your store loyalty cards or printer. You can build lists by scanning barcodes, and organise them by store, and re-use them later. You can also share the lists with other household members to avoid duplicate purchases. With so many features, this straightforward app makes grocery shopping fast and easy.