Desire App review

We review Desire App on iPhone, and get our consumerist desires organised in the process

Financial stability and growth isn’t something that’s reserved for the well-off. It’s a matter of planning and organisation. Keeping careful track of what you want, what you’ve got and how to get what you need is the way to handle finances in the midst of global economic misery, and is a great habit to get into for the fabled return to stability and scrupulous financial institutions.

We can blame the banks and governments all we want for the economy going to hell (mainly because it’s their stupid fault) but there’s really no excuse for not taking responsibility for our own wants and desires. This quick, clean and clever iPhone app is a great way to give yourself a visual stimulus for shoring up the funds to feed your wishes, and has the advantage of teaching us the benefits of saving up again.

Let’s say, for example, we anticipate the iPhone 5 being announced this July, as per Apple’s typical release schedule. You know you’re going to want one, but it’s going to make a hell of a dint in July’s budget if you shell out 500 smackers in one go.

Desire App allows you to enter the iPhone 5 as a goal, and set its price point. This becomes a specific, personal fund that you then begin to build up and keep track of within the app. Each deposit you make to the fund is recorded in the app, which simply keeps track of every individual saving.

A bar graph is provided - Blue Peter Appeal-style - with zero at one end and the value of the particular desire (the iPhone 5 in our example) at the other end. The bar gradually fills up, and offers you a visual reference as to how close you’re getting to realising the goal. You can even account for any withdrawals made to the find, decreasing the amount should you be forced to dip into it.

Of course, you can also use the app in reverse. If you need to earn a certain amount of money this month, or you want to prepare for the crippling Christmas season well in advance, you add the budget figure as a goal and enter deposits as they come in. Should you pay a bill or blow a bit of cash in the meantime, the app keeps clear track of the remainder so you can see how well you’re doing this week, month or year.

These aren’t difficult calculations to make manually, by any means, but Desire App offers a beautifully simple presentation and slick interface that takes all the effort out of budgeting. It’s not all about the app itself - this is a great way to teach yourself to stop buying things on the tick, and start saving up for them like our grandparents used to do.

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