How to keep up with every penny spent

[ladykemma2]

How would it categorize Wal-mart? Wal-mart is food, clothes, cleaning supplies, pet stuff, school stuff and etc with needs and wants in all those areas. Sorry for all the questions. I need to just look it up. Thank you for taking the time.

i categorize it as "walmart", because i get everything you mentioned there including prescriptions.

walmart gets 200 every two weeks line item in the budget. it tends to work out exactly 100 every 2 weeks for "food" and the other 100 for non food, pet supplies, household supplies, school supplies, HBA, prescriptions, and the odd clearance clothing item.

i shop with a calculator to keep a running total and when i hit 200 i start to modify my shopping, putting stuff back neatly, prioritizing and quickly replanning meals if the original plan won't fly. i also take advantage of loss leaders when i can.

i use a debit card, stopped carrying cash and enter my receipts upon getting home. i plan meals and shop only once every two weeks. freeze the bread and milk. there is no "stopping in at the store" for something.

ever.

every dollar has a name and there is only 20 dollars every two weeks as pocket money. so there sould not be any nebulous money with no name floating around anywhere.

if you want i can email you my budget spreadsheet.

[ladykemma2]

I use my debit card for everything, almost never carry cash and I literrally have a sticky in my wallet and I record the amount every time I use my debit card.

I don't do this as a figuring out where the money went tool but to keep track of my balance. I only keep "spending" money in that account so when its gone, its gone.

Most purchases showup online immedately but there are still a few, like the pizza I bought over a week ago, that don't show up as quickly. Its very easy to forget about these purchases if you don't keep track on paper.

i do this too.

[ansley]

I don't think I am explaining this very well. I have Dustin's budgeting spreadsheet and as the nerd I love it.

I am trying to find the leaks. I know what stores seem to be the problem I just don't know why or if I am not being realistic. I don't do the shopping and I have no idea.

[ladykemma2]

I don't think I am explaining this very well. I have Dustin's budgeting spreadsheet and as the nerd I love it.

I am trying to find the leaks. I know what stores seem to be the problem I just don't know why or if I am not being realistic. I don't do the shopping and I have no idea.

the leaks for me turned out to be office supplies. i wasn't budgeting realistically for office supplies.

keep up the detective work!

[Libby]

What about breaking down the grocery store and walmart bills?
walmart - groc
walmart - cleaning supplies, hba
walmart - meds etc

Same with groc store. The only diff is you'll manually have to separate the bill into the appropriate categories on the spreadsheet?

[ansley]

I have added a sheet to Dustin's budgeting spreadsheet to track what we spend money on. I am listing every item in the first column then $ each then $ total for July. So far cheese, coke products (we do not normally get), Ice-cream and cookies are the culprits. Of course I don't have all the receipts with me right now but that is a good start.

[HeatSeeker]

I use my debit card and collect allll of my monthly recipts. It makes it hard to deny where the money is going, and offers me more insight into whether or not my budget is working

[mauimagic]

Interesting discussion you've created Ansley!!.....and with the extra challenge of a DH who does most of the shopping!! Sounds as if you are getting a better handle on it all.

I've just started using my Debit card to keep track of what is going out - and am really excited about the results - plus our bank gives us points which is a lovely added benefit!!

Just wondering - is the Mint site secure?

[McD]

MM---Mint is operated by the same company that does Turbo Tax. I don't use their services anymore, but I feel confident in it's security.