Comments on: A Really Cheap Solution to Overspending

By: Heather

Heather — Thu, 09 Apr 2009 06:29:12 +0000

I used to save every receipt and then input them all into Quickbooks. I wanted to track my spending to eventually set a budget. Two years later, I was still JUST entering my receipts. All stowed away knowledge, no review. A coworker heard of my plight and tuned me in to mint.com. I would never have had the time to make a budget without it. Whatever your system, make sure you eventually move from a system of sitting-knowledge to a system of working-knowledge.

Thanks for such a great site Scott!

By: Katie

Katie — Mon, 14 Jul 2008 14:19:34 +0000

I have a weekly budget for my normal expenses, go to the bank once a week, take out the money and can start the week. Usually, there is some left at the end of the week. That helps budgeting as well as keeping my account statements easy (only rent, taking out the weekly budget and other larger monthly things being printed).

By: The Conscious Snob

The Conscious Snob — Sun, 06 Jul 2008 18:00:09 +0000

I spent the least when I actually had a written budget I could visually see. After I stopped doing the budget, assuming that I had spending on track, I noticed my checking account was getting smaller. So I went back to budgeting =)

By: david

david — Wed, 02 Jul 2008 06:11:25 +0000

Brice: If you want to know how you’re doing, monitoring helps, whether it be calories or expenses. While it might not solve the fundamental problems by itself, it’s sure a good thing to know how you’re doing.

By: Brice

Brice — Tue, 01 Jul 2008 23:17:20 +0000

I don’t think such a strategy has any lasting value. I liken such a habit to counting calories. Simply put, it’s not a viable lifestyle decision. Yes, writing down one’s purchases may make one more aware, but the solution to one’s troubles will not be found in a reductionist attitude toward “that one (or two or three) purchases that put me over the top this month. I won’t do it again next month.”

It’s not the purchases that ruin someone. It’s an attitude and that attitude will never be recorded on such a ledger.

By: Avani-Mehta

Avani-Mehta — Tue, 01 Jul 2008 22:38:10 +0000

Hey … I do the same. Have a excel sheet filled with detailed spendings. One of the best benefit I got from this is to figure out where is money going – a big help while trying to form budgets.