One Year With Monarch Money: Why I’m Still Using It

About a year ago, I published a deep dive into Monarch Money after testing several budgeting tools and finally committing to a more intentional way of managing my finances. At the time, I was looking for something practical, flexible, and realistic for a busy household with shared finances.

A year later, I’m still using Monarch Money consistently.

This is not a feature-by-feature re-review. It’s an update based on real use over time, what stuck, what improved, and why Monarch is still part of my routine in 2026.

If you want the full background on what I originally looked for and how Monarch works at a feature level, you can start with my original review of Monarch Money. This article focuses on what actually matters after the honeymoon phase.

How I Actually Use Monarch Money Now

The biggest change over the past year isn’t what Monarch does. It’s how it fits into my routine.

I do a scheduled financial check-in every weekend, plus a more thorough review at the end of each month. Most weeks, that means reviewing transactions, checking budgets, and making small adjustments. Occasionally, I’ll pop in midweek if I want to clean up transactions or sanity-check spending.

That consistency matters more than frequency. Monarch works best when it becomes a background system rather than something you only open when things feel out of control.

Today, my core usage looks like this:

• Reviewing and categorizing transactions
• Monitoring budgets using flex budgeting
• Occasionally checking net worth
• Running reports at month-end or year-end to spot patterns

I’m usually in and out in a few minutes. That’s exactly what I want.

The Features That Actually Matter Long Term

After a year of use, it’s clear which features drive real value for me.

Transactions and budgets are the foundation. Knowing where money is going and how it compares to expectations removes surprises. Monarch’s rules engine quietly handles most categorization for me now, which saves time every single week.

Flex budgeting continues to be a good fit. I don’t want to micromanage every category, but I do want guardrails. Flex budgeting strikes that balance well.

Reports matter more than I expected. I don’t live in them, but I rely on them when I want to step back and understand spending patterns, especially when planning for a new year. This fits nicely with the same kind of periodic review mindset I use when doing a broader financial reset.

I’ve also started using Monarch’s newer AI-powered advice and analysis features. They don’t replace judgment, but they are useful for surfacing trends and prompting questions I might otherwise gloss over.

Goals 3.0 Looks Promising (Cautiously)

Historically, goals weren’t a feature I leaned on heavily. That may change.

Monarch recently introduced Goals 3.0, which separates saving goals from debt payoff goals, improves projections, and replaces transaction-based goal tracking with fund allocations. Conceptually, this is a big improvement and closer to how money actually moves in real life.

I haven’t migrated yet, so I’m reserving judgment. But this is the first time Monarch’s goals feature has made me pause and think, “This might actually be worth using.” That alone is a good sign.

Improvements I’ve Noticed Over the Past Year

One reason I’ve stayed with Monarch is that it hasn’t stagnated.

Over the past year, the product has improved in ways that matter for everyday use:

• The mobile app feels more refined, with a redesigned dashboard, better data density, and improved dark and light modes
• The main dashboard surfaces account health and connectivity issues more clearly
• Investment tracking is more practical, with better visibility into transactions like dividends and buys
• Reporting tools are easier to revisit and reuse

None of this is flashy. All of it reduces barriers. That’s exactly what I want from a financial tool I plan to use long-term.

Friction Points (Still Worth Mentioning)

Monarch isn’t perfect.

I still have a couple of accounts that require reauthentication every month, usually with two-factor authentication. It’s annoying, but manageable, and most of my accounts sync reliably.

More importantly, Monarch continues to add meaningful improvements rather than standing still. That matters far more to me than the occasional sync annoyance.

Why I Didn’t Switch

I didn’t re-evaluate every budgeting app this year. I didn’t need to.

Monarch does what I want it to do, the price is reasonable, and it supports the kind of routine I want to maintain. I’m not chasing the perfect app. I’m looking for one that supports consistent behavior.

If you want a budgeting tool that helps you understand your spending and adjust habits over time, Monarch fits well. If you don’t want to review transactions or engage with your finances at all, it’s probably not the right fit.

Final Thoughts

The biggest value Monarch provides isn’t a chart or a feature. It’s structure.

My weekly financial review is now a system. Monarch supports that system by making it easy to check in, make adjustments, and move on with my week. This idea closely aligns with the systems-first approach I write about in Life by Design, where consistency matters more than motivation.

If you want to try Monarch Money for yourself, you can use my referral link to get 50% off your first year. I recommend giving it enough time to build rules and habits before deciding whether it fits your workflow.

After a year of real use, Monarch Money has earned its place in my routine. For a financial tool, that’s about as strong an endorsement as I can give.