Budgeting apps like Mint or YNAB are supposed to make personal finance easier, but after five years of tracking every dollar, I think they actually make people worse at money. When you automate categorization and watch your savings tick up, you lose the feel of spending cash, which is what really keeps most people in check. A friend of mine ditched all apps and just used a notebook for three months, and he cut his restaurant spending by half without any analysis. Maybe the friction is the point, not the convenience.