How do you track finances?

[packmomma]

So we don't really track how much we spend. We're both frugal and spend about the same amount every month but I know there's more money to be saved (and we need it so we can pay someone to work on the house). How do you track finances? What tricks have you used to save?

[tuscanlatte]

We do ours in an excel sheet and we have a biweekly set up. It's very simple. Income - bills is what's left for food/gas/entertainment.

DH and I spend pretty similarly too so we've never broken it down further than that.

[tuscanlatte]

Oh I forgot my saving trick. I use this starting in fall before Christmas. Every time I get groceries, I get $20 cash back. We don't notice it missing as much then when it's time to buy gifts we have a pile of money for it.

[mommabakes]

I use an app and really like it. It's called My Budget Book.


Similar to Tuscanlatte, we have $50 direct deposited into a special Christmas account every pay check. It gives us enough money for gifts for all the people we buy for, plus some.

I meal plan, which helps my grocery budget a lot.


I've been using Ibotta since April and have gotten like $70 back on stuff I buy anyway, it takes a few minutes, but it's worth it for me. (If anyone's interested in checking it out, I have a link that I'd love if you used)

[th3stryck3r]

I use mint.com to track spending, which is good for categorizing everything and getting a big picture.

I use an app called digit for savings, which is pretty cool. You give it access to your bank account and it analyzes your spending. Then, it will save small amounts that you wouldn't miss several times per week. Sometimes it's 50 cents. Sometimes it's 5 or 10 dollars. They guarantee that the savings they take out will never cause you to overdraft, and you can also instruct it to save more or less or to put saving on hold anytime, just through a text message. It also texts me the balance in my checking account every day, and if I've had a big transaction.

[Laverne]

Sept 14, 2016 12:19:14 GMT -5 tuscanlatte said:

Oh I forgot my saving trick. I use this starting in fall before Christmas. Every time I get groceries, I get $20 cash back. We don't notice it missing as much then when it's time to buy gifts we have a pile of money for it.

i theory i like this, but i would need to submerge the $$$ and freeze it, cuz i am an asshole. There is a bank in our area that does a santa savings thing. I need to open new checking. thinks me go there.

[Laverne]

Sept 14, 2016 16:55:00 GMT -5 mommabakes said:

I use an app and really like it. It's called My Budget Book.


Similar to Tuscanlatte, we have $50 direct deposited into a special Christmas account every pay check. It gives us enough money for gifts for all the people we buy for, plus some.

I meal plan, which helps my grocery budget a lot.


I've been using Ibotta since April and have gotten like $70 back on stuff I buy anyway, it takes a few minutes, but it's worth it for me. (If anyone's interested in checking it out, I have a link that I'd love if you used)

do it!

[mommabakes]

Sept 15, 2016 6:29:26 GMT -5 Laverne said:

Sept 14, 2016 16:55:00 GMT -5 mommabakes said:

I use an app and really like it. It's called My Budget Book.


Similar to Tuscanlatte, we have $50 direct deposited into a special Christmas account every pay check. It gives us enough money for gifts for all the people we buy for, plus some.

I meal plan, which helps my grocery budget a lot.


I've been using Ibotta since April and have gotten like $70 back on stuff I buy anyway, it takes a few minutes, but it's worth it for me. (If anyone's interested in checking it out, I have a link that I'd love if you used)

do it!

My referral code is quytpmd

[aydee]

mommabakes What is Ibotta?

[mommabakes]

It's like a coupon app, you "unlock" certain coupons, then go shopping, and scan barcodes and receipts and get money back.

Once you get $20 or more you can deposit it to PayPal or onto an Amazon card. There's bonuses and such too.

[tuscanlatte]

Sept 15, 2016 6:28:31 GMT -5 Laverne said:

Sept 14, 2016 12:19:14 GMT -5 tuscanlatte said:

Oh I forgot my saving trick. I use this starting in fall before Christmas. Every time I get groceries, I get $20 cash back. We don't notice it missing as much then when it's time to buy gifts we have a pile of money for it.

i theory i like this, but i would need to submerge the $$$ and freeze it, cuz i am an asshole. There is a bank in our area that does a santa savings thing. I need to open new checking. thinks me go there.

That's why I take it cash haha. I'm the same asshole but with the account haha

[abvintage]

We use Google Sheets