This time of year is often rough on finances, and although there are many money-management tools available for Linux, none are quite like You Need A Budget, or YNAB for short. Unlike traditional budgeting programs, YNAB focuses on a few simple rules to help you get out of debt and, more important, to see where your money is going. If you've ever struggled with sticking to a budget (I certainly have), give YNAB a try. I'm not a "numbers person", yet YNAB seems to make sense.

YNAB is an Adobe Air-based application, so it runs on Windows, Macintosh and Linux. It's not free, but there's a seven-day trial and a 30-day money-back guarantee. There's even an app in the Android Marketplace that will sync with your desktop application for entering purchases on the go. YNAB isn't for everyone, but if you've ever struggled with budgeting and been frustrated that most finance applications are Windows-only, give YNAB a try: http://www.youneedabudget.com.