Chances are the only thing you know about accounting has come from Ben Wyatt’s jokes from “Parks and Recreation.”
Well, those were painful to listen through. Anyway…
Basic accounting skills are very important in our adult lives. When tax season comes around, we need to know that we are getting what is rightfully owed to us on our returns. Basic accounting is also important when it comes to maintaining a budget.
3 apps to help you budget and track your spending
Read now ►If you didn’t take any accounting classes in high school or college (and even if you did) accounting can be very complicated. Luckily, there are plenty of free accounting programs that can help you along the way. Please note that even the best accounting program can be enhanced by your own basic accounting knowledge. It’s in your best interest to watch videos like the one below to teach you some basic accounting tools.
If you’re looking for a free tool to help you with your accounting needs, we found four of the best free accounting programs for you. They can help you send invoices, help with bookkeeping, and help around tax season.
5 best free accounting programs
Wave
The creators of Wave have the mindset that accounting should be a free service for individuals and small businesses. That’s why accounting, invoicing, and receipting don’t cost a dime!
However, there are premium features on Wave that you do have to pay to use. Conducting payroll, processing credit cards, and making transactions with the bank all cost money. That said, if you need a service that just helps you keep the books, Wave can help out!
Standard Accounts BSA
Standard Accounts BSA is a one-stop shop for your basic accounting needs. You can easily create tables for accounts payable and accounts receivable. If you need to maintain a ledger, it’s wildly easy.
As we said before, basic accounting knowledge can help with most software, and Standard Accounts BSA is no exception. If you don’t know basic accounting, you won’t know how to fill out a ledger financial reports. Basically, before you start balancing your books, you need to hit the books.
Free Invoice Maker
If you have a small business, you know just how much you need to create invoices. Free Invoice Maker makes it incredibly easy to make them to the point that even a child could do it.
Throw in all of the necessary information into the template to create an invoice quick and easy. Unfortunately, the program will not save your information for you, so you will have to enter a lot of the same information over and over again. There also isn’t much you can use to make a more custom, visually appealing invoice. However, for the low, low price of free, we can’t really complain.
Manager Free Accounting
If you are like most people, all of your financial papers are probably thrown into a bin you keep tucked away. Manager Free Accounting is essentially the same as if that bin was neatly organized on your desktop.
All of your financial information organized into a simple and efficient dashboard. Everything you need to access is just a click away. It has basic accounting functions and tools to help you balance the books, and manage your own personal finances. If you want to ditch the clutter, this app can help!
Wrapping up
If you’re looking to manage your own bookkeeping, these programs are sure to help. However, do not be afraid to consult a professional. Professionals like the people at H&R Block can help you save time and money in methods that might be unfamiliar to you.
