What would you recommend to keep track of spending?

[Newell Steamer]

Wasn't aware free money made me a a slave

Sure as sugar.

Also, the matching of a 401k by your employer? Makes you totes a slave as well.

Oh, savings from shopping at Costco - slave.

Buy two, get one free - slave.

 

[BurnItDwn]

I use my brain. Keeps track of all dollar amounts. Works pretty good. I have once overdrawn from my checking account but otherwise, Its never steered me wrong in the 19 years since I've been employed.

 

[Imp]

Credit card... I go to the ATM less than 5 times a year. I can go check every dollar spent and go check my monthly totals for at least 12 months back.

No reason not to use CC since I pay it off monthly. I don't frequent any stores that give discounts for using cash -- the one that did no longer does, and the discount was a joke at 2%. And I don't use a gold card or Amex so the charge to the retailer shouldn't be excessive.

 

[OutHouse]

Sure as sugar.

Also, the matching of a 401k by your employer? Makes you totes a slave as well.

Oh, savings from shopping at Costco - slave.

Buy two, get one free - slave.

how many times were you dropped on your head as a baby?

 

[TheGardener]

I heard that young JD Rockerfeller was told by his father to keep track of every penny he spent in a notebook. But if I remember correctly his father was rich.

Most of us don't have the discipline to create a budget and to track expenses. If you are, then a spreadsheet will work nicely. You can have a column with a date or month, the amount, whether the expense is discretionary or not, a category and a description. For looking back, you can create reports using pivot tables. So if you want to see how much you paid for utilities, it is very easy to do. You might want to set a minimum amount to track. That would help trigger a reminder to you to enter the expense into the spreadsheet. The daily discipline is tough enough, rather than trying to enter every penny spent.