Goooooood morning budgeters! What’s good? How did your weekend go? Anyone have off today for Columbus Day?
We’re gonna do a fun one today to kick off the week, and I wanna see how all your answers here differ from the same question we recently asked over a hundred $$$ bloggers too :)
If you recall, we started a new series over at Rockstar Finance where we pepper the financial community with questions about their favorite resources since they live and breathe this stuff, and then we compile all the data and push out in-depth reports and new additions to our master Directory so that others can be helped by it going forward as well.
Last month we focused on the best personal finance books (you can find the report here, and the new directory here), and this month we tackled the best personal finance APPS.
- Here’s the report we just published on it: Rockstar 360 Report: Financial Apps
- And here’s the new directory, ranked in order: Personal Finance App Directory
Spoiler alert: Here are the top 10 ranked $$$ apps:
(The report also covers the most *overrated* apps, the number of times bloggers use them each week, the total # of apps they own, what their first cell phone was (Clamshell? Flip? Zack Morris phone?? ;)) and more. It’s super interesting!)
We also like to throw in a fun juicy question at the end just to spice things up a bit. Last month’s question – which we also posted here – was whether you’d rather have all the knowledge from every financial book in the WORLD – or – $100,000 in cash?
It was pretty split down the middle blogger-wise, however here on the blog the $100k cash narrowly edged out all the knowledge by a few points. So this month we tried to come up with a better one that would skew a lot more one way or the other, and I’m proud to say that we accomplished it :)
You’ll have to check out the full report to see which one was the clear answer (my guess was completely wrong – d’oh!), but before you go over you’ll have to make sure to answer today’s question first down in the comments for us.
Are you ready for it?? It’s a good one!
Would you give up ALL apps forever in exchange for a brand new car worth $50,000?
Think before you answer it! How often do you use your own apps – financial or otherwise? What could you do with a nice new car? Which is the better long-term play?
Interestingly we already have all the apps we could want, so nothing really gets taken away if we decline the deal, but on the other hand if we grab the keys we got a nice little toy – or stack of cash! – to play with :) And that’s exactly what I’d do with the car if I got it – flip it for cash! Who needs a $50k ride??
But could I be okay with never accessing apps again on my phone?? That’s a tough one. Especially since you have nooo idea what future technology will bring (we’re just in the early stages with this stuff!).
Still, I think I’d go for the ride and just flip it for some quick cash. That money would compound pretty damn well over time, (I’d invest it, of course), and I’m getting awfully tired of being so attached to my phone anyways. As long as it still makes phone calls and I can access the camera and internet on it (internet is not an “app” right?) I’ll still get 90% of what I “need” from it.
I’m waiting for all the dumb phones to make a comeback anyways when everyone gets tired of how BIG these laptops phones are getting! Haha… The revolution is coming, I’m calling it now!!
Anyways, food for thought today…
If nothing else, let this be a good time to reflect on how much time you spend on your phone, and whether it’s making you happier/more productive or not.
I can’t tell you how much life has gotten better ever since I killed Facebook on it – and no one had to bribe me with anything for that! ;)
Looking forward to seeing your answers! Be sure to check out our new report and apps directory after!
******
PS: Another feature we just added to the Directory? Tracking the *total wealth* of all the bloggers who publicly display their net worths. It’s currently at $209,435,124.89 (!!!)
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I like those kind of questions.
The answer might sound a bit boring, but I would do exactly the same. Take the car, sell it and invest the proceeds.
Actually I am not a super crazy smartphone user. It’s nice to have but I use some 20 apps – so actually not too many. And most of them are social media/mail/whatsapp kind of stuff.
Kind regards
Harald
Maybe I’m reading this question wrong but if it’s ALL apps vs. ALL financial apps I’d have to say I’m giving up the new car. If I derive far more utility value from having the ability to quickly have a map pulled up, internet at a button or even translation software than a new car or cash :)
I’m not interested in going back to a dumb phone!!!
Now if it’s just financial apps, yeah I could get rid of them for 50k :)
Haha… at least with dumb phones people looked you in the eye back in the day! :)
Good morning J,
Your question is tough especially since you’re talking about giving up ALL the apps.
But just like you, I would choose the $50K car and then sell it.
Maybe use the cash to market our own app that we are currently developing? Would that be allowed?
Would we be allowed to test, use and market our own app? If not, then we are choosing apps over the $50K car/cash
Sure – you could build it and market/test your app, you just wouldn’t ever be able to *use* it :)
Oh dang…. I don’t even know. I would definitely sell it for the cash, like you said, assuming I went that way. Who wants a brand new car, the worry to keep it nice or the insurance? Ugh. But I do enjoy so many apps on my phone…man. I feel like this shouldn’t be a hard decision, as it’s just phone apps. BUT like you said, technology is constantly growing. What could come in the future?
Okay, okay. Based on my current knowledge and the apps available to me, I’m going to say the $50k car. But I’ll be honest and say that I’m kind of wavering and on the border… and now every PF person after me is going to say $50k car, no hesitation… oh well. :) Nice question! Gets you thinking!
Interestingly enough, if you take a look at the Report we just launched, the majority of people went w/ the apps!
When I saw the invite for the financial app questionnaire, I thought I wouldn’t be of any value. Why? In the Netherlands we don’t have those awesome apps that you guys have in the states.
Which makes the last question, giving up all the apps or a new car of $50.000 a whole lot easier. It would be the car of course!
Or so I thought.Turns out, even the few apps I can use are not something I would be willing to give up. The convenience that comes with it is so integrated in my daily life, it would mean I have to make a lot more effort to manage my money. And besides. who needs a 50.000 dollar car anyway? ;)
You guys should do a poll over there to see what the most popular apps are in our country :) We quickly realized after sending this one out that a large chunk of bloggers wouldn’t be able to take the poll due to these limitations – so it def. resulted in fewer poll takers compared to our Book one…
Which proves yet again how important/valuable BOOKS are! They work all around the world! (And even come in multiple languages as well to better cater to other countries!)
The financial geek in me wants to take the car, flip it for cash and be $50k up on the investment front… but the app loss is tricky in today’s world (although, it could make life a bit easier in some ways!).
As long as Excel is still around I would take the car.
Oh yeah – Excel all the way, baby.
We’ll have to celebrate it next week on Spreadsheet Day :)
My first thought was with my commute no way I’d want a car that expensive. Glad flipping it is an option. I have very few apps on my phone, but that’s because I’ve curated down to what I actually use. While most of my calendar is also in my brain, knowing it’s all recorded and at my finger tips is invaluable. Pandora or Spotify for when coworkers chatter on (to each other) is also pretty important. My Wegman’s app is my grocery list, grouped by aisle plus digital coupons! My bank’s app with the ability to deposit checks from home / anywhere is very convenient. Maps / navigation – I haven’t printed out directions in years. I’m not ready to trade those in for 50k.
Ooooh good point on the deposit-via-phone option! I used that for 99.999% of my checks, d’oh.
No way would I trade in my ability to use ALL apps FOREVER for 50k. The ability to navigate wherever I am to wherever I want to go, instantly, not to mention monitor my bank account and other accounts in real-time… Nope. I will keep my apps, thank you. And yes JMoney, you access the internet via an app (browser) so no more internet on your phone, lol. For that matter, your ability to call people, at least on smartphones, is through an app (although you can’t uninstall it, it’s still an app). So if you give up using apps you’re basically agreeing to never use a smartphone again. There is no way I would ever agree to that. The convenience of accessing the internet through a hand-computer is worth a lot more than $50k to me, especially over the course of my life.
In that case, no way in hell :)
The car absolutely!! I really don’t use apps now. I was able to do all my financial business before the internet – passbook savings, anyone? – and now I use the internet to pay bills, etc. at a level that satisfies me. I limit what I do with my phone. Call me old school but I like getting away from my phone. Plus, the car would last me at least 7-10 years…..and I’ve never had a car that cost that much!
No brainer. Take the car, sell for cash, buy tickets to Hawaii… errhmm, I mean invest it, maybe in an “Everlasting car fund”. From $50k you can buy 5-10 cars. Expect driving them for 5-10 years you are set for a life. Meanwhile, returns can cover repair costs. No app can do the same. I would trade a smartphone any moment for anything which is more valuable. Yes, I know I sound like a caveman but calls, sms, phonebook and alarm is all I need for a phone. For the rest, there are true gadgets with screens worth looking at. There are no viable screens under 10″… except for Kindle, I love them.
“From $50k you can buy 5-10 cars. Expect driving them for 5-10 years you are set for a life.”
Hah!! Hadn’t thought about it in that way!!
Free cars forever or free apps forever?
Even easier decision there :)
Can I give up all apps forever for $50,000 in cash instead? I’d take the cash, but not so much the brand new car. I want something that can appreciate if invested wisely although I could technically sell the car hehe.
I’m heading to work today although my son’s daycare is closed. He’s staying at home with grandma.
I was on the fence until I’d saw Mustard Seed Money drop the gps app…….I am terrible with directions and that app alone saves a lot of time/angry driving. I remember printing pages out from MapQuest!!! If you missed a turn you were screwed!
Keeping the smart phone and apps. No smart phone on my morning bus rides also sounds terrible.
Oh man, MapQuest… reminds me of AngelFire or AOL cds! Haha…
Is the $50,000 car self driving? If so then goodbye Robinhood!!! I still would take a regular car because it is some nice compounding.
I’m so glad Ibotta was on the most overrated app list – most of the time you can find another brand cheaper even with Ibotta’s discount.
I forgot today was Columbus day… why isn’t it celebrated on the west coast?! Nooo.
Yeah, seemed like people loved and hated ibotta pretty equally. I’ll use them when I’m about to buy something anyways somewhere, but not to go looking for discounts *before* shopping.
Looks like I open financial apps more often than all the bloggers polled by Rockstar Finance. I’m not sure if I should be proud of this or if I should admit I have a problem…
Probably better than opening up all the other apps on your phone as much :)
I love Mint, but I pretty much completely agree with your sentiments. As long as I can still use Mint in browsers on a regular computer and have access to Excel sheets, I’d take the car and flip it for immediate cash.
The real loss would be not having Twitter on my phone anymore, since that + Feedly are the main ways that I interact with the pf community.
Same :( But at least you can still get onto Twitter and Feedly via web! So you’re not totally at a loss :)
I’m a computer engineer, not a car person. For me, apps increase my productivity far more than $50,000 over my lifetime. It’s a mobile workforce these days. I could probably make up that $50,000 in 2-3 years in increased productivity.
Okay, I’m starting the timer…. Start throwing all the extra cash you think it’ll bring you into a new savings account, and by the end of 3 years I’ll email you back and ask how much is in it :)
Still hate this question because it shows how reliant on electronics we have all become!! Of course, I kept my apps but I sure would like to see an extra 50k in my accounts… How’s about we split the difference. Give me 25k ( half the cost of the car) and I’ll only keep 4 apps. :)
Oh, hell yea! That would be a much easier decision, haha…. (although you still wouldn’t know what the future holds for all of us :) But maybe by then it’s just a chip in our brain and there aren’t any apps at all! So we got the car for free!)
PS – Your “new” report links to the old report on books. :)
Ack, thank you!! Updated!
If it was no apps for a year I’d consider taking the car and selling it, but as G and Mustard Seed Money mention above, the apps I use increase my productivity and make my life easier than a car would (or even a one-time cashout of $50,000).
GPS to help me get where I need to, Google to find whatever I need, financial apps to track my money, blogging apps to help build our business, coupon apps to save us money, video and audio streaming apps for free entertainment, calendar apps to stay organized, etc. I don’t want to go back to the stone age. :)
I’d keep the apps. Life is way easier with the Google map app. That’s probably the only thing I couldn’t live without. Well, I guess I could get a GPS unit. Other than that, I don’t mind giving up emails, social media, games, etc… Google search is good for finding info too. It’s pretty damn cool to have all that knowledge in your hand.
Oh yeah! GPS units! Haha…
How fast those came and went, eh?
Easy…take the car! I am old school and do not use apps…I do my finances with a written ledger! Then I would sell my current car which has a payment and make that monthly payment to my retirement account. My thought would be that $50K car could get me around for 10 plus years with no monthly payment :) Oh to dream….
Yeah written ledger! Haha…
I use my phone for business and would not want to give up all apps because email and phone on there means I don’t have to be in my office. And I have not driven since 2009. This one is easy.
The business part can be a huge one – you’re right. And more than likely will play even a larger role as time and technology goes on!
This is an interesting question.
If it is just ALL financial apps, then yes – I would definitely take the car to either use it or sell it and put the money towards investments or to fund another side hustle. I am used to tracking my finances on spreadsheets and my computer that I prefer it that way.
However, if it is ALL apps, then no – I don’t think I can stop using apps like Evernote and Google Translate. Yes, I rely on my phone for even the simple things like calculator and calendar. Haha. Those apps are very much part of my everyday life.
I’ll keep the apps! I already have a car that works, and while the cash from selling it may be nice, it’s not worth it to me to give up all apps forever. It’s just too convenient. Oh well!
I’d pretty much follow your plan, J Money. Take the car, sell it for what I could, and invest the funds.
While phone technology is fantastic I find the downsides are pretty big, too: being distracted way too often. My laptop presents enough bells and whistles for me already.
I agree with you, J Money, get the car, flip it for cash. I don’t tend to use more apps than facebook and a few games, so I could definitely go without those. It would probably give me more time with my family or more time to hustle for even more money, if that’s what I feel like doing.
It’s really a fascinating question and the answers above are just as thought-provoking.
I wonder if the answers from this crowd (myself included) are diluted because we use so many apps for our blogs and businesses.
For example, if the question was “Would I give up all personal use of apps for a car?”, then the answer would be a resounding yes even if that meant I didn’t even enjoy the car, but donated it to charity.
But given that I use these apps (Twitter, WordPress, etc for my blog and business) then I’d have trouble voting for the car.
In a perfect world, I could grow a blog and business without the use of any app at all, but that’s just a sure way to restrict growth in today’s world. Alas, I miss the years before smartphones. I’m just a 60 year old trapped in a Millennial’s body.
Great thought-provoking question!
Glad it got you to think a little :)
I agree we’re a different sort of crowd here in the $$$ blogging world for sure. We tend to use apps for more productive reasons than others, certainly making it a harder choice. Though on the other end, people who use it for *fun* would prob also find it hard to give up for a car so you never know? Our business stuff is another person’s lazy/relaxing stuff, eh?
Love these apps! Personal Capital has been awesome for calculating our net worth, which would otherwise be an extra budgeting headache each month. As long as I know it’s in the red and what my debt balances are, it doesn’t matter to me as much. Once we start building wealth, though, that’s when it’ll get juicy!
Also I’ve been using Acorns for about 6 months now and I love being able to do micro-investing. It’s been great to get my feet wet!
I would take the car…then sell it for cash. Any apps you have on your phone have equivalent websites I can access on my laptop. I’m not a big app user anyway.
No, I would keep the apps. I have a vehicle and it is just fine. If I were forced to replace it, I could do so without giving up anything forever. I do have a smartphone (TracFone served by PagePlus), and I took Facebook off of it because tracking happens even if one doesn’t have an account to be logged in to. I wouldn’t say I’m terribly into apps, though I do have some. I have the financial banking apps and don’t use them. What I do with my smartphone that validates its existence in my life is use it as a camera. In order to easily get the pictures on my computer, I use the Mega nz app. Could not do without that. I absolutely love having a camera (smartphone) with me wherever I go.
I agree about how nice having a camera all rolled up into one like that is. Remember the days of lugging around large ones? IF you remembered to even bring it with you places? Haha…. Photography alone has changed immensely over the years.
Yeah, though I never had a large one. I had a 110 camera! And then I’d get disposable 35mm ones on occasion. It is just so great not to have to bother with any of that.
Well, I never had any apps or smartphone to this day, so there really wouldn’t be anything to miss. I’d take the car :)
Wowwww impressive!
Give them up forever??? … that sounds so committed for just $50K. How do I know there won’t be something even cooler in the future like AI apps? I’m giving up the car. Fun question!
Although I use my apps often, I would take the car and cash it in.
I will choose the car and sell it at $50K or higher. Then I will pay $1,000 per programmer to write the 10 most useful apps with whatever-I-want functions.. So I will have the ultimate apps that I want and $40K to do whatever I want…probably investment.
If apps only cost $1,000 to make we’d all be millionaires :)
I’d definitely pass on the car!!! I don’t put a ton of importance into a brand new spanking car, while I could get money money for it instead…I cannot live without my maps apps for sure. I’d get lost everywhere I go!!!! Or I would have to resort to printing our directions beforehand again. The convenience of being able to use apps simplifies my life and for me outweighs a one time windfall.
I’d sell that car and invest the money in a hot second but it’s still not worth giving up the apps that let me deposit money (wealth!), track my activity (health!), socialize (community!), and work from anywhere (career on the move!) I already gave up some earnings and upward mobility to get the lifestyle I want, and part of that lifestyle is not getting horribly lost anymore ;)
No shame in that :)
Well, considering I was perpetually lost and late to meetings or missed finding places before the Google Maps app, I’ll take the apps. To me its about preclusion. Just because you choose the apps model doesn’t mean you are precluded from owning a new car, just that you’re not getting this particular car for free. And since cars are very low on my priority list, other than the cash from selling it, I see no upside to taking the car. Apps have helped me do my job better, share my photography work, have helped me connect with freelance jobs (including side photography jobs) and have helped me maintain a long-distance relationship. Another factor to consider is we don’t yet know what apps are yet to be invented. Could there be an app that’s indispensable to us FIRE folk? Maybe for a device or service we can’t even conceive of yet? Who would have thought 20 years ago we would be holding a computer in our hands far more powerful than what we had sitting on our desks at the time? Hampering who knows what to come doesn’t seem worth the $50k, assuming I could sell it for that (in the secondary market it would probably be much less).
Also, a clarification; as I’ve started teaching myself to code (which, by the way, if that becomes a new career one day, not being able to access apps would severely hamper me) I’ve noticed even non-mobile software is increasingly being called apps. So is it just phone apps, or ALL apps of any kind?
Sorry if I’m getting too much into the weeds, J-Money!
Great thought process!
1) I agree we don’t know what’s around the corner that could be game changing
2) And also agree that cars are typically on the lower priority list
As for what people call “apps” these days, you’re certainly right – most people will lump it all in there just cuz it’s easier to get across, and esp for marketing purposes on the behalves of the companies themselves :) I would say at least 5% of the answers we got in our polling of the 130+ bloggers in fact sent in answers that were not apps themselves! It’s all melting together haha…
(As for this particular question, however – I just mean app-apps that you have to download onto your mobile phone)
Even with app-apps — I still hold strong. Many of my side hustles basically require it, as does my job. Just because I don’t have the app, doesn’t mean other people don’t. Other people will still have the expectation of instant connection, and it would make my job more difficult, make me less successful at it, and probably lose me freelance clients. Taking the car, even to sell for cash, seems like short-term thinking, even though many on here are taking a long-term approach to the short-term choice (and that’s exactly what I would do if I somehow were awarded a $50,000 car; sell it and invest the money I made). And that’s only projecting the current situation forward, without taking into account yet-unknown advances.
Thanks for this thought-provoking question! It’s also made me think again about my unease with my connection to my phone…
Haha, yup – always feels really strange (and freeing!) those days you lose or forget your phone somewhere :) It’s very true everyone these days expects fast service 24/7 now too. I get emails all the time from people now who will apologize for “taking so long” in getting back to me when they emailed me back after only 2 hours from me emailing them! 2 hours!! Haha… it’s wild out there.
Damn you and your hard questions….
My productivity and financial apps on my phone seem so intertwined into my daily life. Heck the ability to take a picture of a cheque and have it deposited directly into my bank account is awesome. That being said maybe we could be better off without being attached to our phones. As for facebook, did you keep the pages app on your phone? I have multiple business pages and group pages for non-profits I’m involved with.
Although I use so many apps for mountain biking, hiking and navigation. I definitely couldn’t do without those. ViewRanger is probably my most important one.
Dang it…. I guess I gotta choose apps or the car and man I woulda loved that Tesla3 you would have bought me :)
Whaaaaaa? You can keep FB “Pages” on your phone but not the whole app?? That would actually be pretty helpful to me to update my blog stuff, hmm…
(and sorry about the Tesla :) I”ll buy it for you once I hit $100 Mil)
Without apps, your phone wouldn’t work! EVERYTHING is an app (or “application”), I’m afraid…
Unlike many people under 30, I spent many years with no cell phone whatsoever. I’d be okay without a phone at all, except that then people like family and friends would have trouble contacting me. I’d be glad to take that $50k car from you, J-Money! ;)
A computer, though…that’d be a completely different story!
For a computer the stakes would have to rise to $1,000,000 :)
Well…since I built a big chunk of my wealth by never owning a car, that would be a tough sell for me. If I could sell it for the same amount, immediately, I still don’t think it’d be worth the trade-off in productivity and/or the potential productivity that is on the horizon. Intriguing post though. Thanks.
You’ve never owned a car?? Wow. That’s pretty impressive.