The Best Investing App for Parents Who Have Zero Time: Why We Use Acorns to Grow Our Kids’ Savings

Being a parent is a full-time job — often without a break. There never seems to be enough time in the day to sit down and make a legit financial plan or go and talk to an investment banker. You want to give your kids the best future but have no clue how to invest. Where will the money come from? How should you invest it? It's exhausting thinking about it.

That’s why my husband and I started using Acorns, an investing app that lets us grow our kids’ savings effortlessly by rounding up our everyday purchases and investing the spare change. Kinda like when McDonalds asks if you want to round up to donate to charity... except with Acorns you're rounding up your purchases to benefit your own family.

In this post, I’ll share why Acorns is the perfect app for busy parents who want to invest but have zero time, plus how you can get started in just a few minutes.

Why Investing Feels Overwhelming for Parents

Investing can seem complicated and time-consuming, especially when your days are packed with parenting duties. The jargon, countless app choices, and fear of losing money can make starting feel impossible.

Why We Chose Acorns

Acorns stands out because it makes investing simple and automatic. Here’s why it’s perfect for busy parents:

• Automatic Micro-Investing: Acorns rounds up your everyday purchases to the nearest dollar and invests that spare change — so you’re investing without even thinking about it.

• User-Friendly App: The app is intuitive and easy to navigate, perfect for parents who don’t have time to study complicated platforms.

• Buckets for Savings Goals: We created separate accounts, or “Buckets,” for each of our kids’ savings goals. It’s like having mini investment accounts dedicated to their future.

• Low Minimum Balance: You don’t need a big lump sum to start — even small contributions add up over time. Perfect for anyone who wants to save and invest but doesn't have a lot of extra income.

• Educational Resources: Acorns provides helpful articles and tips so you can learn as you grow your investments.

  
  

How We Use Acorns for Our Kids’ Savings

We opened an Acorns account for each child and set up recurring monthly contributions as small as $5 or $10. We also use the Round-Ups feature to invest spare change from daily purchases like groceries and coffee. Doing this, it was easy to save over $1,000 in the first year for our kids! You don't even notice the money being invested because it's just pennies and cents here and there.

The app’s easy-to-understand visuals help us track progress without feeling overwhelmed.

How to Get Started with Acorns in 3 Easy Steps

1. Download the App and Sign Up: Acorns is available on iOS and Android. (Check out my Acorns sign up link HERE to get a $40 bonus when you sign up. You can also check out my other resources as well, if you'd like)

2. Link Your Bank Account: This allows Acorns to round up your purchases and invest automatically.

3. Choose Your Portfolio: Acorns offers different portfolio options based on your risk tolerance — choose one that fits your comfort level.

   
   

Tips to Stay Consistent and Make It Work for You

• Automate Deposits: Set it and forget it. Automate monthly contributions so you don’t have to think about it.

• Use Spare Moments: Check your progress during short breaks, like waiting in line or nap time.

• Ignore Market Noise: Focus on long-term growth, not daily ups and downs.

  
  

Bonus: Resources for Parents Who Want to Learn More

If you want to dive deeper into investing or personal finance, check out our post about investing for beginners HERE

Conclusion

Even tiny investments add up over time, especially when they happen automatically. You don’t need hours or a finance degree to start growing your family’s wealth — just a few minutes and the right app.

Ready to get started? I would encourage you to at least download the app and check it out!