Keeping a expenses-spreadsheet...
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Keeping a expenses-spreadsheet...
| Mon, 07-25-2005 - 9:48am |
I have been thinking about writing every little expense down for at least 1 or 2 months starting this payday and then make a diagram to see where it all went. The quicken sheet is too iffy, especially when it comes to groceries (as I want to list junk-food and non-junk and such). Do you think that is a good idea to be so detailed or you think it would be to complicated and frustrating to stick to for 2 months. I do have the feeling that we have a lot of unnecessary expenses that go unnoticed and I would like to see, if we can't fix that.
Sushi

I like the idea. If you find it too cumbersome, just lighten up a bit on your categories, but keep writing everything down. Some people do this for only a week or two and notice huge leaks in their spending that are easy to remedy. It's a terrific tool for taking control of your money.
Good luck, and let us hear how it goes!
I think tracking is a GREAT plan! I know I have cut my auto fuel use by 1/3 just by consciously saying "I'll fill up on Sundays. This tank has to last 1 week" -- a month later, and a tank of gas now consistently lasts TWO weeks.
anywho...another thought, esp. if you have saved reciepts....start your spreadsheet a month or 2 ago...this will give you a better idea of what your "normal" is, and how much tracking it helps you....
For me, it also makes me feel great when I can look back at May and see how much I've improved in July. It inspires me to continue to be good (eating out being my Main bad financial habit), knowing that I AM making a difference.
$200 food bill in May ("but I was good all month and didnt eat anywhere Expensive!" :D), down to $155 in June (still some eating out..but I also went grocery shopping for the first time in nearly a year, so that initially stock-up trip was over $100 in food.) and down to less than half that in July.
Since i esablished a "normal" budget, it can become a game in my head to see how Low I can get it! :)
but then again, im prolly weird.
anyway, Great Idea, in my opinion!
Teresa
http://www.affordingpickles.blogspot.com
Hello all,
thank you for the input. Doing it for the past 2 months is a great idea, but I didn't save the receipts... oh well. I started today. I made the spreadsheet and then made categories, groceries, junk-food, necessary stuff, uncessary stuff and restaurants. Since today is my son-in-laws birthday and I was going to make him cookies plus some cookie-dough in a jar, I had to buy groceries (stuff to make the cookies with), necessary stuff (gift wrap, jar and napkins) and some junk-food (3 Cokes). So I put the sum of the junk-food, the groceries, and the necesary stuff, each in its respective category and created a pie-diagram underneath it so I see how much percent I spent on what, i.e. 62% went for groceries, 32% for necessary stuff and 6% for junk-food ... you know, this is actually fun.
Sushi
Look at it as a 2-part process.
All my best,
Danni
I added a new category called snowflaking to my spreadsheet. In it I will put every penny that goes into the piggy-bank. :) That way I can see how much % I can actually save. It looks really good.
Sushi