Question about Spending Diaries

DontDoDebtKids

Hi all,

In response to a suggestion someone made on my diary thread, I'd like to get myself a (free!) way of recording my spending every day.

How does everyone else do it?

DDDK

calleyw

Do you carry a diary with you. If so then why not use that.

Or just a scrap of paper and then transfer it to spread sheet (open office is free)every night.

Yours


Calley

KatrinaC_2

DontDoDebtKids wrote:

Hi all,

In response to a suggestion someone made on my diary thread, I'd like to get myself a (free!) way of recording my spending every day.

How does everyone else do it?

DDDK

I run a spreadsheet system because I'm a bit of an obsessive scientist type geek and I like to be able to analyse things in a dozen different ways (by day, week, month, expenditure type, where I spend my money, what the item cost last time I bought it, what it cost last time I bought it at another shop...).

My MIL, on the other hand, keeps a small A6 note book in her bag and writes things in during the day as she spends.

Bizarrely, her five minute a day system works better than my three hour a week one, although mine does have more pretty colours:rolleyes:

Kat

calleyw

KatrinaC wrote:

... although mine does have more pretty colours:rolleyes:

Kat

:rotfl:

And I thought computers where suppose to make life easier and we would have paperless offices.


Yours


Calley

wanna-be-mortgage-free_2

I keep a diary in my bag. It's small enough to fit in neatly and write down each time I spend. It's quick and efficient! I did have a spreadsheet but it took too long to transfer everything across which meant I wasn't doing it on a regular basis so at the end of each month I hadn't a clue what was in my account or what I had spent

The idea is to do what is easier for you. The small diary works well for me and I have it with me wherever I go!

KatrinaC_2

calleyw wrote:

:rotfl:

And I thought computers where suppose to make life easier and we would have paperless offices.


Yours


Calley

From where I'm sitting I can see six piles of paper and measuring one with my ruler it has now reached 28cm deep. I also have paper notes on the walls and blu-tacked onto my PC. The tower unit has become an unofficial filing system (on the top of the tower for things I need, underneath for things which I'd like to forget), not to mention the shelves above my desk with a dozen files and folders.

You are now asking why these papers are piled about my PC and not neatly filed away so that I can get them at a moments notice.

Because we are not allowed order filing cabinets as we work in a paperless environment... :rolleyes:

Kat

DontDoDebtKids

Sounds like I need to obtain a small notepad or diary from somewhere

Thanks everyone :beer:

bluezone

I've got one ready at home to start tomorrow at the same time as my grocery challenge

wanna-be-mortgage-free_2

DontDoDebtKids wrote:

Sounds like I need to obtain a small notepad or diary from somewhere

Thanks everyone :beer:

Mine came free from a magazine that my friend buys!

DontDoDebtKids

OK. it seems to me that small paper spending diaries are the most successful.

I looked around for something suitable and nothing small enough to be carried around at all times was to be found. So, I have behaved in what I believe to be a true DFW style and made my own! :money:

Method:

1. Take two sheets of A4 plain paper.

2. Fold in half twice and then unfold. You should now have two sheets of paper with fold lines dividing them horizontally and vertically into four corner sections.

3. Using some scissors, cut along these fold lines so that you end up with eight pieces of paper.

4. Stack these pieces of paper

5. Fold the stack.

6. Using a stapler, staple twice along the fold line to create your very own spending diary!

7. Head each page with a date.

Mine now lasts until 23 August!!! Cost £0.00.

For further moneysaving, use two dates per page!!! :T

wanna-be-mortgage-free_2

Now that's the spirit :T