Tiller Money Review 2024

What is Tiller Money?

Tiller Money is a financial management tool that integrates with spreadsheet applications, enabling users to seamlessly track and manage their finances. Founded in 2014 by Peter Polson in Seattle, Washington, Tiller Money primarily works with Google Sheets and Microsoft Excel.

The platform automatically aggregates users’ financial data, streamlining the budgeting and financial tracking process. Instead of conventional budgeting apps, Tiller Money caters to individuals who prefer the flexibility and customization options of spreadsheets.

The service offers the Tiller Money Foundation Template, a pre-configured spreadsheet where financial data is auto-populated. Users can monitor their transactions, evaluate their current balances, analyze their spending habits, and establish monthly or annual budgets.

Additionally, Tiller Money takes data security seriously, allowing account linking without compromising access and incorporating two-factor authentication for added protection.

Committed to simplifying the personal finance experience, Tiller Money provides tools like daily email summaries and automatic data population, ensuring that users have consistent and updated overviews of their financial status.

My review on Tiller Money shows that the features offered are an excellent option for the average person to track their finances and get into budgeting. Although it lacks advanced features, such as bill paying and investment tracking, the majority of people will benefit from using Tiller to manage their financial life.

Full Tiller Money Review

Tiller Money feeds offer an easy way to aggregate your financial information all in one place. spreadsheet templates are available, so you don’t need to know how to use Excel or Google Sheets to take advantage of it.

Tiller Money’s best for:

• Diligent budgeters
• Those who prefer spreadsheets to budgeting apps
• Those who like to have all their financial info in one place

Are you a spreadsheet nerd or just looking for an easy way to manage your finances? Tiller keeps track of your spending and provides real-time daily and monthly budget reports on your financial transactions.

Read the rest of my Tiller Money review to find out more about how it works.

External Tiller Money Reviews & Ratings

Here are some reviews from traders who have experienced the platform firsthand:

Automatic Data Population

Once you connect your accounts to Tiller, the rest of the process happens automatically. Check back every so often for the latest data and budgeting reports. Tiller can link to more than 10,000 different financial institutions including Bank of America and Capital One.

By connecting your accounts, you don’t give Tiller access to your financial accounts, so security isn’t an issue. Two-factor authentication via Google Sheets adds an additional layer of data security, however.

Create a Budget Sheet

If you’re struggling to make a budget, Tiller provides a fully customizable budget spreadsheet. You can customize different income and expense categories, as well as manage multiple time frames, such as monthly and quarterly.

Categories can be hidden from your budget. There are no formulas required to get it up and running.

Daily Email Summaries

You don’t need to revisit Tiller to find out about your finances. Users can set up a daily email summary, which details the latest actual account balances and any transactions you’ve made. This prevents you from receiving any unpleasant surprises when you check your finances.

How Does Tiller Money Work?

Tiller Money is designed to provide a complete personal finance service that integrates seamlessly with your spreadsheets. The primary goal is to simplify your financial tracking by aggregating all your financial data in one place, giving you greater control over your money​​. Here’s a step-by-step guide on how Tiller Money works:

1. Connect Your Accounts

Start by securely authenticating your accounts in Tiller’s Console. Importantly, Tiller never sees or stores your bank login details. You can then link your financial accounts to both Google Sheets and Microsoft Excel simultaneously.

The result is an automatic import of all your spending, income, and transfers into a unified transactions sheet​​.

2. Customize Your Spreadsheets

Tiller Money allows you to review your balances in a unified balances sheet, where you can track your debts and net worth over time.

Moreover, you have complete control over your transaction categories and auto-categorization rules. Tiller offers the Foundation Template for beginners, but you also have the option to use new sheets from the Tiller Community​.

3. Utilize Tiller Features

Tiller offers several unique features to help manage your finances more effectively. The Tiller Money Feeds feature connects over 21,000 banks to your spreadsheets, importing your daily spending, income, and balances with a single click.

You also get access to automatic transaction categorization through the AutoCat feature, which gives you complete control over your categorization rules​​.

4. Get Daily Updates

Tiller provides a daily email summary that includes your latest transactions and balances, helping you to keep track of your financial activities without needing to open your spreadsheets every day​​.

Reviewing Tiller Money Pricing

Annual Subscription: Tiller Money is priced at $79 per year. This single subscription plan grants full access to all features, including automatic transaction updates, customizable templates, and integration with Google Sheets and Excel.

• 30-Day Free Trial: Users can try Tiller Money with full functionality for 30 days without any cost, offering a risk-free opportunity to assess its value.
• Inclusive Pricing: The fee covers all aspects of the service, with no hidden costs or additional fees for premium features.
• No Tiered Plans: Unlike other budgeting tools, Tiller Money keeps it simple with a one-plan-fits-all approach, ensuring all users have access to the full range of features.

Tiller Money and Debt Management

Effectively managing and paying off debt is crucial for financial well-being, and Tiller Money offers robust features to assist in this journey. By leveraging Tiller Money’s customizable spreadsheets and automated tracking, you can create a strategic plan to tackle your debt efficiently.

Budget Creation for Debt Repayment

Tiller Money simplifies the process of budgeting with its customizable templates, allowing you to allocate funds effectively toward debt repayment. By categorizing your expenses, you can identify areas for savings and redirect those funds to pay down debts.

Debt Tracking and Progress Monitoring

With Tiller Money, you can seamlessly track your debts, including loans and credit card balances. The platform’s automatic updates provide a clear picture of your debt levels and the progress you’re making towards paying them off.

Setting and Achieving Financial Goals

Tiller Money enables you to set specific financial goals, such as monthly debt repayment targets. This feature keeps you motivated and on track to achieve debt freedom by providing a clear roadmap and milestones.

By utilizing Tiller Money’s suite of features, you can develop a comprehensive and personalized approach to debt management. The platform empowers you to take control of your financial situation, paving the way for a debt-free future.

Tiller Money and Data Privacy

In the digital age, data privacy is a major concern for many individuals, particularly when dealing with sensitive information such as personal finance. Tiller Money addresses this issue with several measures designed to protect user data.

Data Encryption

Tiller Money uses bank-grade 256-bit encryption to secure your data. This is the same level of encryption used by many financial institutions, meaning your data is protected to a high standard.

Two-Factor Authentication

Two-factor authentication (2FA) is a security measure that requires two different methods of identity confirmation. It’s like a second lock for your data. Tiller Money supports 2FA via Google Sheets, adding an additional layer of data security.

Limited Access

When you connect your financial accounts to Tiller Money, the tool does not have access to your login credentials. It only has ‘read-only’ access, meaning it can view and aggregate your financial information, but it can’t move money around or make changes to your accounts.

This significantly limits the potential damage if your Tiller Money account were ever compromised.

Data Policy

Tiller Money has a strict data policy. They do not sell or share your personal data with third parties. This commitment to privacy helps to ensure that your financial information stays private.

User Reviews and Ratings

Tiller Money has been endorsed by a multitude of users and recognized by top money experts and media outlets such as Wirecutter, Inc.com, Business Insider, Fortune, Harvard Business Review, and CNBC​​.

Here is a collection of user testimonials that highlight the strengths of Tiller Money:

The testimonials continue with praises about Tiller’s flexibility, ease of use, customization, and its superiority over other financial management tools. Users appreciate the freedom and control Tiller allows, and its integration with Google Sheets and Excel for custom analysis.

Notably, the customer service of Tiller is frequently commended for being responsive and helpful​.

Is Tiller Money Worth it?

Tiller Money is worth it for several reasons, particularly for individuals who value customization, control, and efficiency in their financial management:

• Customization: Tiller Money allows users to fully customize their budgeting spreadsheets. This means you can tailor your budget to fit your unique financial situation and goals. Not many budgeting tools offer this level of customization.
• Automation: The platform automatically pulls in financial data from your connected accounts, saving you from manually entering transactions. This helps you maintain an accurate and up-to-date overview of your financial situation with less effort.
• Consolidation: With Tiller Money, you can see all your financial information in one place. It supports connectivity with more than 10,000 financial institutions, making it easy to consolidate your financial data, whether it’s from checking accounts, credit cards, or loans.
• Daily Email Summaries: Tiller Money sends daily email summaries detailing the latest account balances and transactions. This feature keeps you informed of your financial status without needing to constantly check the app.
• Data Security: As mentioned earlier, Tiller Money takes your data security seriously. With bank-grade encryption and a strict data privacy policy, it ensures that your financial information is safe and secure.
• Learning Curve: If you are already familiar with spreadsheets (Google Sheets or Excel), then there is virtually no learning curve involved with Tiller Money. It leverages a tool that many people already use and understand, making it easy to get started.
• Affordability: At $79 per year with a 30-day free trial, Tiller Money is relatively affordable compared to many other budgeting tools on the market.

How User-Friendly is Tiller Money for Spreadsheet Beginners?

Ease of Use for Beginners

• Tiller Money is designed to be user-friendly, even for those new to spreadsheets. It offers pre-configured templates that simplify the initial setup process.
• The platform provides step-by-step guides and tutorials, making it easier for beginners to navigate and utilize the tool effectively.

Learning Resources

• Tiller Money offers an array of educational content, including webinars, how-to articles, and video tutorials, specifically targeted at helping beginners understand and use spreadsheet functions.
• The Tiller Money Community and customer support are accessible resources for new users seeking guidance or facing challenges.

What Makes Tiller Money Unique Compared to Other Budgeting Tools?

Tiller Money stands out from other budgeting tools for several reasons.

1. Flexibility

Tiller Money leverages the flexibility and versatility of spreadsheets. While other tools provide pre-made categories and rigid structures, Tiller Money allows you to customize your budget according to your specific needs.

Whether you’re budgeting for a large family, a small business, or saving for a big trip, you can mold Tiller Money to reflect your unique financial situation.

2. Automatic Updates

Tiller Money automatically updates your chosen spreadsheet with your daily transactions and balances from various financial institutions. This saves you the time and effort typically associated with manual data entry, a feature not commonly found in other spreadsheet-based budgeting tools.

3. Envelope Budgeting

Another unique feature is Tiller Money’s “Envelope” budgeting method, also known as the zero-based budgeting system. This method, although offered by some other budgeting tools, is seamlessly integrated into Tiller Money’s spreadsheet environment, offering an excellent way to plan your spending and save money.

4. Privacy

Tiller Money also stands out with its focus on privacy. Unlike many other budgeting apps, Tiller Money uses bank-grade security to ensure your data is protected, and the company itself does not sell user data to third parties.

5. Vast Template Options

Tiller Money’s extensive template library sets it apart. These ready-to-use templates address a variety of financial situations, from debt tracking to net worth tracking, making the tool adaptable to diverse user needs.

Personal Finance Education and Community Support

A significant but often under-mentioned aspect of Tiller Money is its commitment to personal finance education and fostering a supportive community. This additional feature makes it more than just a budgeting tool, providing users with resources to expand their financial knowledge and engage with a community of like-minded individuals.

Financial Education Resources

Tiller Money is passionate about personal finance education. Their website hosts a wealth of articles, guides, webinars, and FAQs, covering a range of topics from budgeting basics to advanced spreadsheet management. For instance, their ’30 Days of Financial Wins’ program offers a free, month-long course that guides users through budgeting, goal setting, tracking expenses, and more.

Moreover, Tiller Money hosts weekly webinars that delve into various features and capabilities of the tool. This direct, interactive approach ensures that users can fully leverage Tiller Money’s potential while also expanding their understanding of personal finance management.

Tiller Money Community

Tiller Money has cultivated an active, supportive community that further adds value to its service. The Tiller Money Community is a forum where users can ask questions, share their experiences, exchange spreadsheet templates, and contribute advice on a wide range of financial topics.

For users who are new to budgeting with spreadsheets or facing unique financial situations, the Tiller Money Community can be a valuable resource for getting customized help and advice. The discussions in the community are also a great way to get ideas for customizing your own Tiller Money experience.

Integration with Financial Institutions

Tiller Money supports seamless integration with a wide array of financial institutions, ensuring comprehensive financial tracking. This feature is crucial for users who have multiple accounts across various banks and credit unions.

The integration includes checking and savings accounts, credit cards, loans, and investment accounts, providing a holistic view of one’s financial health. Tiller’s breadth in connectivity facilitates effortless aggregation of all financial transactions and balances, making it an efficient tool for personal financial management.

Understanding Automated Financial Tracking with Tiller Money

Automated financial tracking is one of the cornerstone features of Tiller Money, designed to simplify personal finance management by eliminating the need for manual data entry. This section delves into how Tiller Money’s automated tracking functions, the process involved in connecting bank accounts, and the variety of transactions it can monitor.

Connecting Bank Accounts

Users start by securely linking their financial accounts, including bank accounts, credit cards, and loans, to Tiller Money. This process is facilitated by Tiller’s integration with over 21,000 financial institutions, ensuring broad compatibility.

To maintain security, Tiller Money employs bank-level encryption protocols during the account linking process. Users authenticate their accounts using their online banking credentials, which Tiller Money never stores or accesses directly.

Transaction Tracking

• Automatic Imports: Once accounts are linked, Tiller Money automatically imports transactions daily. This includes expenses, income, transfers, and adjustments, ensuring that all financial activity is captured.
• Categorization: Transactions are then categorized into predefined or custom categories set by the user, facilitating organized tracking and analysis.

Technology and Data Accuracy

Tiller Money uses advanced data aggregation services to pull financial information. This technology ensures that data is not only accurate but also updated in real time. Algorithms run checks for common transaction errors or duplicates, ensuring that the financial data presented to the user is both accurate and reliable.

Exploring Customizable Budgeting Templates

Tiller Money’s strength lies in its ability to offer customizable budgeting templates that cater to the diverse financial management needs of its users. This section explores the range of templates available, their customization capabilities, and some popular examples.

Variety of Templates

• Foundation Template: A starting point for many users, offering a comprehensive overview of financial activity, including transactions, balances, and budgeting.
• Debt Snowball Template: Tailored for users focusing on debt repayment, this template helps in planning and tracking debt payoff strategies.
• Net Worth Tracker: For those interested in tracking their overall financial health, this template provides insights into assets versus liabilities over time.

Customization Capabilities

Users can modify templates to reflect personal financial goals and preferences, such as adding custom categories, changing reporting periods, or setting specific financial targets. Templates can be adapted to various financial scenarios, from simple monthly budgeting to complex financial planning involving multiple income streams and investment tracking.

The Impact of Daily Transaction Summaries on Financial Awareness

Daily transaction summaries are a pivotal feature of Tiller Money, designed to enhance financial awareness by keeping users informed about their recent financial activities. This section discusses the benefits of these summaries, their role in promoting financial mindfulness, and the details they encompass.

Benefits of Daily Summaries

• Immediate Insights: Summaries provide an instant snapshot of recent transactions and account balances, helping users stay informed without the need to log in to multiple accounts.
• Proactive Financial Management: By regularly reviewing transaction summaries, users can quickly spot unusual activity, track spending trends, and adjust their budgeting strategies accordingly.

Enhancing Financial Awareness

• Regular Engagement: Daily summaries encourage users to engage with their financial data regularly, fostering a habit of proactive financial management.
• Informed Decision Making: With up-to-date information at their fingertips, users can make more informed decisions about their spending, saving, and investment strategies.

Contents of the Summaries

• Transaction Details: Summaries include a list of recent transactions, categorized for easy understanding.
• Account Balances: Users receive updates on the current balances of all linked accounts, providing a clear picture of their financial standing.
• Budget Status: For users employing budgeting templates, summaries can include progress reports on budget goals, highlighting areas of over or under-spending.

Google Sheets and Microsoft Excel Integration: A Closer Look

Tiller Money stands out for its seamless integration with Google Sheets and Excel, making it a go-to tool for individuals who prefer the flexibility and familiarity of spreadsheets for managing their finances. This integration caters to both novice and advanced spreadsheet users by offering an intuitive platform to automate financial tracking and budgeting.

Integration Process

Connecting Tiller Money to Google Sheets or Excel is straightforward. Once you sign up for Tiller Money and permit it, it automatically syncs your financial data into a spreadsheet. This process leverages secure API connections to your financial institutions, ensuring your data is safely and accurately imported.

Advantages for Users

The primary advantage of this integration is the ability to customize your financial overview extensively. You can use formulas, pivot tables, charts, and more to analyze your data in ways that most dedicated financial apps cannot offer. Whether you’re tracking spending categories, forecasting future savings, or assessing monthly expenses, the integration puts the power of financial analysis in your hands.

Maximizing Potential

To make the most out of Tiller Money’s integration:

• Familiarize yourself with basic spreadsheet functionalities such as sorting, filtering, and using simple formulas.
• Explore the Tiller Money Community for custom templates and scripts contributed by other users.
• Regularly review and update your categories and rules within Tiller Money to keep your financial data organized and relevant.

Overcoming the Learning Curve: Tips for Spreadsheet Newbies

For those new to spreadsheets, Tiller Money might seem daunting at first. However, with the right resources and approach, anyone can leverage its full potential.

Basic Tutorials and Resources

Start with Tiller Money’s resources, including their Help Center and community forums, which offer guides and tutorials tailored to new users. Additionally, websites like GCFGlobal and YouTube channels dedicated to spreadsheet education can provide a solid foundation in Google Sheets and Excel basics.

Making the Most of Tiller Money

• Begin with Tiller Money’s Foundation Template, which is designed for ease of use and simplicity.
• Take advantage of Tiller Money’s daily email summaries to stay informed about your financial situation without diving into the spreadsheet daily.
• Engage with the Tiller Money Community to ask questions, share experiences, and learn from other users’ setups.

By embracing these tips and resources, even those new to spreadsheets can effectively manage their finances with Tiller Money, enjoying the customization and control it offers.

Navigating Tiller Money Without Investment Tracking

One notable feature absent in Tiller Money is native investment tracking, which could be a limitation for users looking to manage their entire financial portfolio in one place. However, there are workarounds and strategies to mitigate this gap.

Potential Workarounds

While Tiller Money doesn’t offer built-in investment tracking, users can manually create investment categories and regularly update their investment values to keep tabs on their portfolios. This method requires a bit more effort but allows for basic monitoring of investments alongside other financial data.

Complementing Tools

For a more comprehensive financial overview, users can complement Tiller Money with dedicated investment tracking tools such as YNAB or Empower. These platforms can provide in-depth investment analysis, which users can then summarize and incorporate into their Tiller Money spreadsheets for a holistic financial picture.

Alternatives to Tiller Money

When considering budgeting and personal finance tools, Tiller Money is a strong contender. However, it’s important to explore alternatives that might better suit different preferences or requirements. Here are two notable alternatives to Tiller Money:

YNAB

YNAB offers a proactive budgeting approach with a focus on assigning every dollar a job, making it ideal for users seeking a more guided financial management experience. Unlike Tiller, YNAB provides a more structured budgeting framework and real-time sync with financial accounts.

Read our full Tiller Money vs YNAB comparison

Mint

Mint is a popular free alternative known for its comprehensive budgeting tools and investment tracking. It automatically categorizes transactions and offers a visually appealing dashboard, suitable for users who prefer an automated, at-a-glance view of their finances without the need for spreadsheets.

Check out my Tiller Money vs Mint article for a more in-depth comparison.

Tiller Review Final Thoughts – Is Tiller Money Worth It?

Tiller Money offers a unique approach to personal finance management that many will find appealing, especially those who like to have a hands-on approach to their financial situation. By seamlessly integrating with Google Sheets and Excel, it leverages familiar tools to help you manage your finances better.

Its strength lies in its simplicity, flexibility, and automation. With automatic daily updates, customizable categories, and the ability to see all of your financial information in one place, Tiller provides a comprehensive and streamlined system for managing your personal finances.

For budgeters who love spreadsheets, Tiller is an excellent tool that combines the best aspects of manual and automated budgeting. It allows you to maintain the control and customization of a spreadsheet while eliminating the time-consuming task of manual data entry.

While it might not be the best choice for individuals looking for advanced features like built-in investment tracking, Tiller still provides value by offering a clear view of your financial picture and the tools necessary to manage your money effectively.

Its affordable price point of $79 per year, coupled with a 30-day free trial, makes Tiller Money accessible and worth trying for individuals who want to have more control over their finances without the hassle of manually updating their spreadsheets.

Overall, we highly recommend Tiller Money for budgeting and managing your finances.

Check out Tiller Money and take advantage of their 30-day free trial now.