Math is hard.
Don't overdo it, you'll embarrass yourself. Besides, you don't need to remember how to use the quadratic equation to budget wiser and save more.
You can work smarter by making use of the tools that other, smarter, math-ier people have already created.
Here are some of the very best:
The Only Investment Guide You'll Ever Need
The Bogleheads' Guide to Investing
Kindle Paperwhite
The model I recommend is the Paperwhite. It isn't the highest end model Amazon offers, but it is the best value when comparing price, specifications, and how useful it is to accomplish more reading than I ever managed to do before. I am all about never spending more than necessary to do the job right, and since the Paperwhite lets you read as efficiently as the more expensive model, I say don't be a dummy and don't overpay. I'll do you one better and recommend the refurbished version
Everything at CNN Money's tools section
Seriously, if you haven't already, check out their list of 27 free calculators covering everything from real estate, retirement, saving, investing and tuition. The options are fairly simplistic, but they can give you a good start without you having to crunch anything even remotely resembling a number.
HelloWallet Emergency Fund Calculator
The folks over at HelloWallet created a free calculator that determines how much you should have saved in your emergency fund. Pretty straightforward. Pretty handy, nonetheless. It might make more sense than the simple $1,000 fund that Dave Ramsey suggests for everyone. However, you still might need to look elsewhere to factor in every emergency fund possibility.
Credit Sesame
Obviously, this tool is "investing" focused. Okay, that's not true. I was just making sure you're paying attention. Credit Sesame is an easy, completely free way to get your credit score, which is extremely useful.
Credit Karma
Like Credit Sesame, Credit Karma provides your credit score for free. Don't make the mistake of thinking your credit score is only important when you are applying for mortgages and never again. You are playing with fire by remaining ignorant of your score. Check it out.
Mint
In case you haven’t heard of Mint, welcome, finally, to 2011. You’re still four years late. I’ll bring you up to date anyway: the Chicago Cubs still stink, Taylor Swift is still making music like it’s a compulsion, what kids these days show each other on Snapchat is shocking, and most importantly, Mint is a financial app and a web program that synchronizes almost all of your accounts across banks, investments and loans.
Excel
That's right, the Microsoft Office program. An oldie, but still a goodie. Numbers is the Mac equivalent, and so you could put that in Excel's place, but both are resources you most likely already have free access to, and they have a wealth of capabilities. The link takes you to Vertex42, a site with a collection of budgets, financial calculators, and other goodies to use in Excel, because sometimes, if it ain't broke...eh, you know how this ends.
Vanguard
The rock of investing options, Vanguard goes hand in hand with the Bogleheads Guide (John Bogle was the founder of Vanguard) and the emphasis on index funds. Vanguard's unique model is the best option for 95% of us when it comes to investing because - unlike other investment management companies whose interests might not align with those of the investors - Vanguard is owned by the funds, and thus by the investors themselves. Vanguard's interest are akin to your own, and, most importantly, that results in some of the lowest fees around. In our book, lower fees = greater returns. As such, Vanguard is our investment manager of choice.
T. Rowe's Retirement Income Calculator
Another free, useful resource (seeing a theme here yet?).
Note: A minority of the links to the tools contained above are affiliate links. By clicking on these links we receive a small commission, at no extra cost to you, if you purchase or select those items. This doesn't affect what we recommend in the slightest. We won't ever recommend something we don't completely believe in. In fact, we would recommend these products whether we were compensated or not.
We actively strive to point out useful free tools when we can, and we only include links to non-free items that we have spent money on and that we recommend to you because of their great value. It angers us when people spend money stupidly; we'd never ask you to do that.