Pensions Planning: The NUMBER

Sea_Shell

I have 11 main categories, but this is for the "what".

I also have a column for "who" in addition, so I could filter down and split out, say, Groceries, into Aldi/Waitrose/Tesco etc etc.

So I could say that I have an infinite number of categories depending on how many different "who's" I use in a given year. 

My other filterable columns are:
What bank/CC is it from
Whose account 
Type of payment (DD / SO / CC)
Date of payment (if DD / SO)
Then each month has it's own column

I then sort into date order at the start of each month (filtered on the current month), and when each amount goes in or out, I change the font colour to red or green, and then refilter with those left black at the bottom.

I filter out blanks, and add them in as we spend.  

Eg at the start of the month there won't be any non DD/SO or unknown spends showing, until I add them in.   I also add in "known unknowns" for when they're due (car service, insurances etc), and highlight the cell to remind me.  I use zeros in the other month columns if I don't want it filtered out as a blank in another month.

So at any given time I know what's been and what's left to come.   

Sounds complicated, but I've had it running for a few years now, and it works well.   

MallyGirl

I feel a database coming on rather than a spreadsheet 😆

Stubod

I run a spreadsheet for each of our individual accounts that record each and every transaction, the output of these are then put into a monthly spreadsheet that summaries the spends as per my chosen categories, per month eg petrol,food etc. At the end of each year these are then summarised using the same categories to give a year by year comparison...works for me...

MallyGirl

Well just summarising January has been shocking and that doesn't include delving into what DH used his cc for. I am undecided whether the dog sitter should be classified under pet or holiday - I opted for pet in the first instance as they won't be with us forever. The dogs cost us over £700 in January so it is a good job I love them. Insurance, food, thyroid meds, vet plan, arthritis injection, YuMove, CBD oil, pet sitter.

Pat38493

MallyGirl said:

I feel a database coming on rather than a spreadsheet 😆

Pivot tables in a spreadsheet are a godsend for this type of what if analysis 

saucer

I suspect that the degree of financial analysis, spreadsheet development and income/spending monitoring that goes on here is more than typical of the general population. 

westv

I am very curious as to why some people have numerous spending catergories.
They just like the detail? Knowing where you can cut spending if needed? Something else?

Stubod

westv said:

I am very curious as to why some people have numerous spending catergories.
They just like the detail? Knowing where you can cut spending if needed? Something else?

...because we can?? 

It is useful to monitor which elements of your outgoings are costing you the most, also helps in understanding your personnal levels of inflation, and I also like to know what our "essential" spend is compared to "discretional" spend.

NoMore

Stubod said:

westv said:

I am very curious as to why some people have numerous spending catergories.
They just like the detail? Knowing where you can cut spending if needed? Something else?

...because we can?? 

It is useful to monitor which elements of your outgoings are costing you the most, also helps in understanding your personnal levels of inflation, and I also like to know what our "essential" spend is compared to "discretional" spend.

In that case surely you only need 2 categories ? 😀

Phossy

..but what is essential? I definitely put our food bill into 'essential', however, is it all really essential. Break it down one day into what you eat and what you drink. How much you save by drinking tap water only for example.