computer software or 'good old pen & paper'...

**sabrelvssammy** · 02-19-2010, 05:17 PM

so for all of you diligently tracking your spending, budgets, etc....what's your method of madness...?

are you a big 'computer software' person....
or
just give me a pen & some paper and i'll be fine....

i personally prefer to use good old pens & paper...i have a binder i keep it all in and it's there right at my fingertips at a moments notice...(and the fact that i am a complete 'computer idiot' kinda helps make the decision for me too...)....dh has tried and tried to get me to go to the computer but i have put up a resistance and i have been victorious up to this point....(plus i think he finally understands that if i do go to the computer i will end making a huge mess and make his life all that much harder...lol).....

how do you do it ????

**Maine Girl** · 02-19-2010, 05:40 PM

I like pen and paper. I also have a notebook that I make my monthly budget in and keep track of coupons and debt reduction. I like the process of writing in ink since i work all day on the computer.

**dcompton** · 02-19-2010, 05:49 PM

Computer for me. From time to time I get tired of being tied to the computer and go back to pencil and paper. It usually lasts about a month. I much prefer having the magic computer do all the math.

Other advantages to me --

1. It's easy to do different scenarios. Change a number and everything recalculates. I play around this with a good bit. It's helps my decision making.

2. When I am transferring money from one account to another, I know for sure both ends of the transaction have been accounted for, since it is automatic.

3. The math is right. I never 100% believe I haven't made a mistake somewhere.

**Vanilla** · 02-19-2010, 06:06 PM

Years ago I used to use msmoney for tracking bank accounts, then that computer had a virus or something, kicked the bucket. So, we got a new computer, msmoney didn't come with it, & various other reasons, didn't track expenses for a few years, just reconciled the bank statements & that's it.

The company I am working for now is using Quickbook (in my laptop also), so I set up a 'personal' file using that software to track all my accounts & such. Also, I've set up an excel workbook for my re-payment plan for loans/credit-cards, cash in hand, price book, stockpile list, etc. (Yep, I am learning a lot from this site). I like using software programs because all the calculations should be correct (as long as I entered the correct equations), no double entries necessary for transfers between accounts. I love using software programs, save a lot of time. And I back up my computer weekly.

**AmyBoz** · 02-19-2010, 06:09 PM

Computer for us.

I would start my bookkeeping in one notebook, move it, lose it, have to start over, and the process would begin again.

So, with the computer, it is all in one central location.

**ladytoysdream** · 02-19-2010, 07:57 PM

Pen and paper. I have one notebook that is set up for the monthly bills. As I pay them, I put a checkmark and date of payment next to the bill.
A second notebook that is just for tracking kwh daily and the gas that is put in our vehicles, the date, amount, and price per gallon that fillup. I am also tracking groceries but am just going to write down the total monthly amount. I probably should track the amount of coupon $$ that I am saving, but not sure if I want to add that to the mix. I know I am saving

**Imarachne** · 02-19-2010, 08:42 PM

I think computer tracking should be the way to go--however, my computer keeps getting viruses and the hard drive went bad and I've had to start over on my accounting--haven't used online sites for it--and I prefer paper and pencil as a result of my mess !!

**frugalwarrior2** · 02-19-2010, 11:09 PM

Both?? I love to bank online but binder for budgets all the way. Easier to change and no power issues. Concrete like my head.

**ladykemma2** · 02-20-2010, 04:28 AM

pen and paper, ledger book

**wjcalderon** · 02-20-2010, 08:01 AM

Computer here.
I've used Quicken for over 10 years - love it!

**mama2James** · 02-20-2010, 09:26 AM

I use a simple spreadsheet to track our spending. Excel is too complicated for me, and the premade money programs aren't ever exactly to my liking so I get frustrated with them. I do all of my banking and bill paying from my bank's website, and I don't know how I'd live without it anymore

**Ssindi** · 02-20-2010, 10:31 AM

Like Vanilla,I used to use MSMoney for my checking acct but that was old computer.Now I do the old pencil and paper thing. I can check my CU account online so I do transfer funds from one acct to another if needed. I don't pay my bills online though. Just haven't gotten that far with technology yet.I do pay CC by phone. DH pays all household bills by check and snail mail.He is definitely not into computers at all.

**lisettelovebug** · 02-20-2010, 05:25 PM

I do everything on my computer, using excel and Quicken. I use Quicken basically as a checkbook and to see how I am spending my money. I use excel for my budgeting. I have made up a spreadsheet that has each week's pay and expenses, and by doing this I can see how much is leftover each week or month to put in savings or towards debt. On another sheet of the same notebook, I keep track of my snowballing.

I also have a spreadsheet where I keep track of what I have bought for the kids in bigger sizes (on clearance of course) so that i don't buy too much. I then send this to my phone after updating and can check it when I am at the dept store to see what we still need. I also use this same method to keep track of my stockpiling. Then when I am at the grocery store and see an unadvertised deal, i can see if it's something we need.

**lisettelovebug** · 02-20-2010, 05:30 PM

Originally Posted by Ssindi

Like Vanilla,I used to use MSMoney for my checking acct but that was old computer.Now I do the old pencil and paper thing. I can check my CU account online so I do transfer funds from one acct to another if needed. I don't pay my bills online though. Just haven't gotten that far with technology yet.I do pay CC by phone. DH pays all household bills by check and snail mail.He is definitely not into computers at all.

I used to use MSMoney on my old laptop too. When I got my new laptop last fall, I couldn't get it to transfer. So, I went to Best Buy and got Quicken for about $30. AT first it was a little difficult because it was different than Money, but after about a week I was pretty proficient at it, and i actually like it more than Money now. I pay all my bills, except rent, online through my bank for free. It makes life SO much easier. Most of my bills are about the same amount each month so I just set it up to cover that amount. When I get a bill and it's different than my normal payment I just go in and change the amount. SImple. And I don't have to pay for stamps. I can also easily look to see if something was or wasn't paid.

**lisettelovebug** · 02-20-2010, 05:38 PM

Originally Posted by Imarachne

I think computer tracking should be the way to go--however, my computer keeps getting viruses and the hard drive went bad and I've had to start over on my accounting--haven't used online sites for it--and I prefer paper and pencil as a result of my mess !!

I just wanted to say something about computers and computer viruses. Please, please, please make sure you are backing up your computer and your documents. You can do this on cds, flash drives or even an external hard drive (these can be bought for about $100 for 1 TB). You can also upload them online to sites like MS Skydrive. We have had SO many people bring in computers to my work for viruses and malware lately. Sometimes information and documents are able to be saved, sometimes not. Also, make sure you have an anti-virus that is active. If you don't avg is great free antivirus that works well. Also, malware bytes is a free program that gets rid of malware on your computer. We usually put both programs on the computers that we fix and even the ones we setup. There is some really awful stuff out there, make sure your computer is protected.