Tracking expenses helps you become more conscious of how you spend your money, but time is the biggest obstacle. Who has the extra minutes to jot down the cost of a coffee or magazine? The trick is to rearrange some of the ways you manage your finances. By taking the time to set things up right, tracking your expenses becomes a 15-minute-per-month task. Here's how.
1. Use cash as little as possible because you don't get an automatic paper trail of where you spent your money; use your credit or debit card instead. If you use your credit card wisely and always pay off the full amount by the due date, then using your credit card will avoid debit card charges. Otherwise, use your debit card. The small additional fee will be worth it if it helps you track your expenses.
2. Have fewer accounts. The fewer places you have to get your financial transactions from, the easier this process becomes.
3. Opt for the statement option with cancelled cheques on your account. This provides more information than a passbook.
4. Pay your expenses consistently the same way. It's easier to track how much you spend on food for the month, for example, if you always pay for your groceries with the same bank card.
5. Take advantage of online technology, such as paying bills. This allows you to easily retrieve your information.
6. Use accounting software, such as Quicken. You can download your financial transactions into the software. With most of your entries, all that's left to do is click and confirm the category, such as food. Print and read the report each month.
by Johanne Gauthier
You really can live on less money – here's how.
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