How do you track your spending?

CookieMonsta

I can't get on with pen and paper. I use spendingdiary.com

I keep my receipts and log my daily expenditure every night. It lets you have as many categories as you want and can generate reports.

pollyanna24

I have my spreadsheets which I made up myself. That way, I can really personalise them. Haha, if people saw my spreadsheets, they'd think I was mad.

I could tell you how much I spent in a particular month on milk for example. Recently, I've added up how much I've spent this year on everything which kinda scared me.

I keep all the receipts for absolutely everything and whenever I don't get a receipt, I put the amounts in my phone so that I don't forget before I get to sit down and do my spreadsheets again.

I own a house with my brother and I worked out how much we need to put in the joint account and I have separate sheets for the joint account. Did this too when I was with my ex, had separate sheets for my spends and joint spends.

I couldn't live without my spreadsheets now, but do think you need to get in the frame of mind of recording every single penny you spend.

Ps I could try and mock up a draft template that I use without figures in so that you could get a start on one. Obviously putting in your own stuff and what not. When I get a minute that is.

-taff

I have spreadsheets too. I have a bill account and a spending account one
. Each sheet in both does a quarter of the year. Each has space for usual bills, usual areas of spending, any extras, savings, transfers, deficit boxes so I can see if my input data is correct agaisnt the amount left in my account etc etc...

Since I've been doing this [March this year or thereabouts] I've got a mch better idea of where and how my money goes...

zippychick

As this has dropped down the Old Style board, I've moved it to the budgeting board for you

Zip

Hi, we move threads if we think they’ll get more help elsewhere (please read the forum rule) so this post/thread has been moved to another board. If you have any questions about this policy please email [EMAIL="forumteam@moneysavingexpert.com"]forumteam@moneysavingexpert.com[/EMAIL].

Wilkins

I don't keep track of day to day spending at all. I can't really see the point since it will all show up on the CC and bank statements and I can do mental arithmetic.


However, I do use spreadsheets for savings, investments and forward planning.

Goldiegirl

I have a bill account.

Every May, we look at all regular expenditure, such as gas, electric, water, council tax, car expenditure, insurances etc, and project how much we will spend on this items for the year. We then divide this figure by twelve, and each month this twelfth is transferred from our main account to the bill account, so the money is there for when the bill comes in. The following May, we review the previous year to see how accurate our projections were and then do the projections for the following year.

The money left in our main current account is used for the rest of the monthly outgoings such as groceries, personal expenditure, entertainment and savings. This part of the budget is set each month.

I track it all in a couple of notebooks - I've been doing it like that for more than 30 years. It's low tech, but it works for me.

DigForVictory

Rather badly. Clearly the little notebook & the Excel sheet are tools I should be using.
Thank you for nudging me into seeing that shambling on is the Wrong Answer!

tjak

I use YNAB, you need a budget. It is on my laptop, but there is an app for android and iOS which updates via cloud. It is fantastic and a great way to track every penny. It has really helped me get my head around planning for upcoming expenses and staying to budget.

mgdavid

Wilkins wrote: »

I don't keep track of day to day spending at all. I can't really see the point since it will all show up on the CC and bank statements and I can do mental arithmetic.
However, I do use spreadsheets for savings, investments and forward planning.

very similar. I always try to schedule regular bills and payments to be paid in the first week of the month. I draw a set amount in cash for personal spending, lunch etc and make it last the month. I have taught myself to be disciplined and I neither fritter nor impulse buy. Near the end of the month if there's funds left over I round up and transfer a lumpsum into the savings account. Sometimes I'm too optimistic and have to transfer a small amount back again just before pay day :mad:

Smithers37

I have 3 accounts that helps me track costs.

1st for leisure, coffee, days out etc - I pay £25 per week in to this account and it's mine to do whatever the hell I want with. Budgeting over the whole month seems like hard work, however 7 days to spend leisure money is easily done. Real simple: If I blow my load early I can't go out. Also it's nice to be paid every Monday.

2nd for car expenses. I pay £165 per month in to that account and that pays for my insurance, tax, petrol and servicing costs. I pay the same amount each month so that MOTs don't hit me hard etc.

The last is for the absolute living essentials. Easy to budget with as I always leave a cushion in that account for comfort, I have a text reminder to tell me if my balance drops below a certain number (although I regularly check my account anyway)