The Budget You Actually Look At
Budget apps on your phone don’t work because you have to choose to open them. And you don’t. Spending drifts unchecked until the credit card statement arrives.
An old iPad or Android tablet on your desk, showing your budget and spending, changes that. You walk past it. You glance. You see where you stand. The difference between a budget that works and one that doesn’t isn’t the app — it’s whether you look at it.
Budget and Spending Apps
YNAB — You Need a Budget ($99/year — iPad & Android)
YNAB is the gold standard for intentional budgeting. Every dollar gets a job. On a tablet, the dashboard shows all your budget categories with a green/yellow/red indicator — immediately visible whether you’re on track.
The tablet is ideal for YNAB’s “budget meeting” — sit down with your partner, open YNAB on the tablet between you, and talk through the categories. Bigger screen, shared view, productive conversation.
Copilot ($10/month, iPad Only)
The best-looking finance app on iPad. Connects to your bank accounts, automatically categorizes spending, and shows beautiful charts of where your money goes. The iPad layout uses the larger screen well — side-by-side spending categories and trends.
Monarch Money ($10/month — iPad & Android)
A strong alternative to Copilot that works on both platforms. Clean interface, automatic bank syncing, investment tracking, and shared access for couples. The tablet dashboard shows net worth, spending trends, and budget categories at a glance.
Goodbudget (Free tier — iPad & Android)
Based on the envelope budgeting method. Set spending limits for each category and track as you go. The free tier supports 10 envelopes — enough for most families. Simple, visual, works on both platforms.
Google Sheets / Apple Numbers (Free)
If you prefer a manual spreadsheet approach, a shared Google Sheet with your monthly budget works perfectly on a tablet. Build it once, update it as you spend. The tablet shows it at a glance.
Bonus: A shared Google Sheet means both partners can update it from their phones, and the tablet on the counter always shows the current state.
Stock and Investment Monitoring
If you have investments you like to keep an eye on, the old tablet makes a dedicated market ticker:
Yahoo Finance (Free — iPad & Android)
Create a watchlist with your holdings. The tablet shows real-time quotes, portfolio value, and market news. For passive investors, a daily glance at the overall market is healthier than checking your phone every hour.
Robinhood / Fidelity / Schwab (Free — iPad & Android)
Your brokerage’s app on a dedicated tablet. Check your portfolio without the temptation to trade impulsively from your phone. The deliberate act of walking to the tablet and looking at your investments is a natural speed bump against reactionary trading.
TradingView (Free with Premium — iPad & Android)
If you want charts and technical analysis, TradingView’s tablet interface is excellent. Multiple chart layouts, watchlists, and real-time data. Best for active investors who want a dedicated monitoring screen.
Bill Tracking and Reminders
Use the tablet as a bill dashboard so nothing gets missed:
- Calendar with bill due dates — add recurring events for rent, utilities, subscriptions, credit card payments
- Apple Reminders or Google Tasks — shared lists of upcoming payments
- Prism (free, select banks) — connects to your billers and shows due dates, amounts, and payment status in one place
The Home Office Finance Station
If you work from home or manage household finances, a dedicated finance tablet on your desk shows:
- Budget tracker (YNAB or Copilot) — current month’s spending
- Portfolio (Yahoo Finance) — market overview
- Bills — upcoming payments
- Calculator — the built-in calculator is genuinely useful for quick math
Set Auto-Lock to 5 minutes (you don’t need it always-on — this has sensitive financial data) and require a passcode to unlock if other people are in the house.
Privacy Considerations
Financial data on a shared household display requires thought:
- Don’t use always-on mode for finance apps — set Auto-Lock to 5 minutes so the screen goes dark when not in use
- Use a passcode — Settings → Face ID & Passcode (iPad) or Settings → Security → Screen Lock (Android)
- Consider who can see it — if guests visit, you don’t want your portfolio balance visible on the kitchen counter
- Best location: A home office desk, not a high-traffic kitchen counter
Quick Setup
- Install your preferred budget app (YNAB, Copilot, Monarch, or Goodbudget)
- Connect your bank accounts (inside the app)
- Set Auto-Lock to 5 minutes (not Never — this is financial data)
- Set up a passcode
- Put it on your desk or in a semi-private spot
- Check it daily — the visibility is the point
Not the most exciting thing you can do with an old tablet. But if your budget has been more theoretical than actual, this might be the one that actually saves you money.
