financial tools

[spider_007]

what program do you use to track you spending.... and all other stuff (even graphs).

i'm trying to do it in eccel, but eccel is gay

 

[Skel]

I use MS money

 

[A-Unit]

Re:

I personally use Excel.

I split my accounts down to 4 bank accounts, 1 of them receives my income by direct deposit. The Excel sheet is the controlling by which I split the %'s I dictate out. From there, I write checks or move the money online as to what I can spend.

Each acct. has debit cards and checks.

1. Income, daily bills, expenses
2. Taxes, business expenses
3. Investment, monthly withdrawals for investment
4. Fun money.

As income comes in, I plug the # in, and the % is then split across. On the bank document you can track the individual expenses. Of course, MS MONEY and QUICKEN are both more high powered, but I control spending and saving first, then worry about where they go.

That was a combo of stuff from Richest Man and Millionaire Mind.



A-Unit

 

[spider_007]

As of right now i have a spred sheet made like this

income

expences (all the bills including fun money)

total balance; per week, month, whole year


it's puirty much like a balance sheet. I only keep one bank account (because it's easyer), and my RRSP, morgage..... is automaticly deducted (any extra money over a certan amount I transfer to my investment account.... I don't have too many bils that very (other then gas, and fun money). I just wana be able to track my bank account on a graph, and project 2-3 months from now...... I tried MS money long time ago, and i wasn't impresed.

 

[al77]

Originally posted by spider_007
what program do you use to track you spending....

May I ask why you want to track your spending? I mean what is the purpose?
If you are concerned with taxes, you simple save receipts in one place. But why do you need to tarck your spending? How does this statistcis help you?
I have never kept track of it, but well.. I spend much less than you do.

 

[spider_007]

i like to know haw much money i saved (or lost) every week, month, year......

-keeping track of haw much you make/spend gives you an idea where you'll be in 2-3 years.
-it keeps you from spending what you don't have that week (not that my account is ever under the limit)
-it gives you a big picture on what you spend and where you need to cut corners.....
-it gives you the ability to see if you'll be able to take that vacation you been planing for last five years (blaaa )

yes i know, some smart ass is gona come on here and tell me "your thinking like a poor person....bla bla bla.." I'm a neat freak, i like my sh!t organized

 

[al77]

Originally posted by spider_007
i like to know haw much money i saved (or lost) every week, month, year......

-keeping track of haw much you make/spend gives you an idea where you'll be in 2-3 years.
-it keeps you from spending what you don't have that week (not that my account is ever under the limit)
-it gives you a big picture on what you spend and where you need to cut corners.....
-it gives you the ability to see if you'll be able to take that vacation you been planing for last five years (blaaa )

yes i know, some smart ass is gona come on here and tell me "your thinking like a poor person....bla bla bla.." I'm a neat freak, i like my sh!t organized

Do you mind my asking "why"?

Why do you want\need to know how much money you saved every week? We all knows what matter is the results, i.e. your total. Just look at your account every week.

Why do you want\need to know how much money you will have in 2-3 years? You know yoru salary, you can easily come up with a crude estimate without tinkering with numbers every week.

I don't get how it keeps you from spending. What keeps you from spending is your the way your think, not your calculator. Right?

Big pictures.. when you spend you don't feel that big picture? I alway do. I have no idea how you can spend and dont feel it.

Vacation planning: just look at you account. In a second you will know what you can afford. Why do you want to compute numbers every week?

Hey I don't mean criticizing you, but I honestly have no idea why would anyone needs to keep track of spending. What can it give me? More money? No? Less spending? Maybe, but I already spend very little.

 

[Docs]

Why do you want\need to know how much money you saved every week? We all knows what matter is the results, i.e. your total. Just look at your account every week.
Example. Holy crap, I spent $1200 on booze this week, $200 on chips and pop, I lent buddy $100 - Reason enough?

Why do you want\need to know how much money you will have in 2-3 years? You know yoru salary, you can easily come up with a crude estimate without tinkering with numbers every week.
Changing circumstance, having a amount to save up without using credit/loan

I don't get how it keeps you from spending. What keeps you from spending is your the way your think, not your calculator. Right?
If you put the money where it belongs (car, savings, bills/rent, FOOD), the LEFTOVERS is piss-away money.

Big pictures.. when you spend you don't feel that big picture? I alway do. I have no idea how you can spend and dont feel it.
Even buy something big and find out you're short at the end and have to credit it up, exactly the case.

Vacation planning: just look at you account. In a second you will know what you can afford. Why do you want to compute numbers every week?
To save up an amount every week over time to amount to your estimated vacation costs (or goodies).

Hey I don't mean criticizing you, but I honestly have no idea why would anyone needs to keep track of spending. What can it give me? More money? No? Less spending? Maybe, but I already spend very little.
Point in case

 

[backbreaker]

quickbooks

 

[Bible_Belt]

bleached wood pulp and graphite inscription device

 

[al77]

Originally posted by Docs
Holy crap, I spent $1200 on booze this week, $200 on chips and pop, I lent buddy $100 - Reason enough?

Why do you want\need to know how much money you will have in 2-3 years? You know yoru salary, you can easily come up with a crude estimate without tinkering with numbers every week.
Changing circumstance, having a amount to save up without using credit/loan

What keeps you from spending is your the way your think, not your calculator. Right?
If you put the money where it belongs (car, savings, bills/rent, FOOD), the LEFTOVERS is piss-away money.

Even buy something big and find out you're short at the end and have to credit it up, exactly the case.

To save up an amount every week over time to amount to your estimated vacation costs (or goodies).

You spend $1200 on booze. Ok. When you were spending it, were you aware it was $1200? That it will add up to about that sum? Or you feel when you spend $300 a week for booze it is just well.. "nothing"? and it will not be anything substantial?

I cannot understand why you think keeping tarck of spending will help you. What would help you is being aware that $300 per week is a lot, and $40 per day is a lot too. Awareness, not programs or calculators.
I cannot even imagine how I would spend that kind of money on booze\chips. Thats not possible for me.

 

[Page]

I keep an openoffice.org spreadsheet detailing my income and expenses.

It's simple, elegant, and it works.