Comments on: Do you remember the first time you started tracking your money?

By: J. Money

J. Money — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 15:51:48 +0000

Hell yeah! Good for you man, that’s wonderful. It took me YEARS to finally do it myself – you’re one step ahead of the game, sir!

By: Oscar C

Oscar C — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 08:42:57 +0000

Started tracking as soon as I started working. Currently making minimum (1st Job). and I have to say I like knowing where everything is going.

By: J. Money

J. Money — Mon, 20 Sep 2010 02:46:11 +0000

@Dd - Basic categories all the way. The receipts way never works for me, or anyone else I know actually. I think the key is def. making it simple and playing around with other ideas until you find a system that works. We all do it differently (I use an excel budget in google docs, for example, while others use Mint.com) but the key is testing out ways 'till you're sticking to one. Then it becomes habit :) @Rob Ward - That works! Awesome you picked up Quicken on day back from honeymoon too, haha.... well done, sir. @Jaime - Thanks :) it keeps me entertained too.

By: Jaime

Jaime — Mon, 20 Sep 2010 02:17:26 +0000

I just started tracking my networth this year, btw I liked that illustration =)

By: Rob Ward

Rob Ward — Sat, 18 Sep 2010 19:14:40 +0000

It was right after my wife and I were married. We literally bought Quicken the first day back from our honeymoon. She had already been tracking everything but was doing it with paper. I was taking over the finances (but had never managed a whole household budget…we got married right out of college) and wanted to use something computer based.

By: Dd

Dd — Sat, 18 Sep 2010 14:36:01 +0000

I remember trying many many times to do this. I always managed to make it way to complicated and then stopped. How do you do it? Basic categories or just keep every receipt?

By: J. Money

J. Money — Fri, 17 Sep 2010 13:18:34 +0000

@BudgetBabe – Love hearing that! Way to get on it and STAY on it.
@Ashley – Hahahahah…. I think you’ve officially won the awesome prize today ;)
@Nick – Haha, congrats on the kid!
@momcents – I still can’t believe you knocked so much away like that, it’s great. Way to go!
@Brandon – Look what you started here :) It’s discussions like that that make me love blogging though man, I totally forgot about the pre-budget days. Here’s to the next 7 months being in the positives for you!
@FrugalRichLife – You got that straight :) And DAMN good job with 800+ Fico score!! You are killing mine! (and millions others out there), you should be proud.
@Kevin I – That is awesome. You stood up to this nonsense and made a change! One that will keep with you forever too, mad props man.
@MoneyMan – Keep it up!
@Sandy X – You had me at Google Docs ;) That 1 tool alone has really helped me too. Started on Excel but couldn’t update “on the go” – so now I can do it easily/more excitingly when I’m in the mood instead of when I make it home. And I agree w/ grocery stuff! Although you’d have to ask the wife more as she’s in charge of that ;) I only go when I’m hungry and that’s just stupid from the get go.
@Molly On Money – Hhahahaha… you are too funny.
@myfinancialobjectives – You change your bank account, or you check your bank account daily? I hope it’s the latter! haha….(and I do the exact same thing – sometimes twice a day!)
@Briana @ GBR – Mint makes it much more easier for sure, esp for all us lazy people ;)
@Stacey – Nah, I totally respect that. We don’t track by penny much either – more like in “chunks”. Yeah I think we end up spending $50 or so extra a month w/out realizing, but since we’re more financially free now it’s a luxury I don’t mind ;)
@Stephanie PTY – SEXY!! Maybe you should share it with me/us in case we wanna use it too? I could add it to my spreadsheet list! :)
https://eliteedgemoney.com/free-budget-templates-sites/
@FB @ FabulouslyBroke.com – Oooh would love to see YOUR spreadsheet too! Do you have a template we could look at? Can add that to our list too :)
@Bobby – Yeah, it blows really. That was the first time I realized how awesome my parents were for taking care of me all those years! haha…
@Kevin @ Thousand-aire.com – You the man! Sometimes it takes one big stupid decision to change our ways… for me, it was our house ;) A $360,000 decision!! haha… whatev.
@UHNW – WOW. I don’t really know what to say on that! Except that you have intrigued me, and I am now gonna go check out your post ;) Thx for sharing! Glad it inspired your own post.

By: UHNW

UHNW — Fri, 17 Sep 2010 08:11:36 +0000

Your post inspired me to have a look at my own data.
I have been tracking my expenses for almost 10 years now. Raw data:
Income $2.8mil
Expenses $2.1 mil
‘Saved” 678k

Expenses include taxes of 563k.
Check it out at http://uhnw.blogspot.com/2010/09/i-was-doing-some-reading-today-and-came.html

By: Kevin @ Thousand-aire.com

Kevin @ Thousand-aire.com — Fri, 17 Sep 2010 03:40:01 +0000

The first time I started a budget and actually maintained it was a little over two years ago. I did it right after purchasing a car that I really shouldn’t have bought, but only realized that after the budget was made. I’ve since gotten rid of that car, and have cut my vehicle expenses in half (thanks to the budget)

By: Bobby

Bobby — Fri, 17 Sep 2010 00:53:40 +0000

I just started tracking my money a week or so ago, I made up a budget as well. I just moved out on my own so I haven’t had a real need to do it before and have always “paid myself first”.

It’s amazing to see how fast all the bills and groceries add up.