This is really embarrassing :(

novella1186

So, finances. Apparently I suck at them. 

I thought I was doing so well. I managed our entire wedding budget on my own and did a really good job.

But then I stopped tracking my spending and started buying things I had put off buying in order to budget for the wedding. Then I had some unexpected dental expenses (thanks a lot, useless insurance) that were pretty huge, and then also we paid for some travel (would not have paid for the travel if I knew the dental expenses were coming). 

Yesterday and today I went through my spending for this month and it was awful. I did so bad. Like the whole "never live above your means" thing went out the window. What's making me feel the worst is that I had no idea how bad I did. WTF?! I feel like an idiot. I'm almost 30 and still can't manage my own finances. 

So I re-made a budget and am going back to tracking what I spend. Hopefully it'll put me back on track but the month of June was a total shitshow. And the month is only halfway over! Argh! What is wrong with me?!!! Such a fail. 

What do you do to budget, track finances, save money, stay on track, etc? I've tried a couple apps but didn't like them, so I just use my own spreadsheet. Are there any apps you really like? Or do you not do those things? Do you mess up (please tell me I'm not the only one who messes up this bad!)? 

I'm seriously considering buying a copy of "Personal Finance for Dummies." I used to ask my dad questions about this stuff and he would say, "I'm not going to explain it right now, it's complicated." So I literally learned 0 things from my parents, and I apparently know less than I thought I did. Fail. 

ETF I can't even spell finances 

southernbelle0915

I used excel spreadsheets for a while. We had a google doc that we shared. I don't know, we never max anything out or spend a ton of money, so it's never really been an issue. 

Mostly, I find automatic transfers helpful. So... we both have direct deposit into one big bank account. Then we have separate bank accounts for various stuff, like general savings, my personal savings, our combined checking account for bills/mortgage, my personal checking, etc. I have automatic transfers set up to send the money where I need it to go. So then all that's left in my personal checking is "fun money" - everything else is taken care of.

teddygirl9

I don't specifically track anything. But every month-ish, or when things change, I will sit down (usually just at work, lol) and work out what my fixed expenses are. Mortgage, utilities (average), insurance, phone. Then I look at how much I want to be saving, and set it the bank to auto-pay. And whatever $ is left over after is fun money.

 

I didn't do great the past little bit. I bought a new car (financed half through me, half through SO), so I'm paying more of the mortgage now, and didn't really account for that. And then I booked a vacation which requried pre-payment of flights & half the hotels. Soo yeah. I went a little over on that haha.

beachyone15

Ugh that sucks. I use a spreadsheet too, although our finances are usually static. We pay our bills every month and whatever we have left is for entertainment/savings/etc. But it does get more complicated when you have a lot of unexpected expenses.

No joke though, I still balance a checkbook. I just don't trust online banking to always be exact. Once I record something in my checkbook, it's gone (whether or not its actually gone from my account yet). It's the only way I can always know where I'm at.

luckya23

I have a zero based budget spreadsheet from Enemy of Debt that I use... when I remember. 

I'm way off track too, and I'm thinking I won't even worry about it until after the honeymoon, we will combine accounts, and see where we are then.  I have a feeling I will be sitting with a maxed out credit card and some medical bills I will be dealing with later.

Generally though, I use the budget to distribute my paycheck into different ING (now capital one 360) savings accounts, so I am "saving" for periodic things and the money isn't sitting in checking.  I have one for my car, one for the dogs, one for utilities, etc.

ETA: I also use mint to see where my money went, but their budgeting portion is crap.

lyndausvi

I use Mint.    I was thinking of using the you need a budget (YNAB) desktop or app, but ultimately decided I didn't want to spend the money.

One thing I did take from YNAB is to buffer.  They have a philosophy that you bank your paychecks this month and then spend that money next month.      My paychecks are not the same each week , so it does help to only budget what I already made, not what I'm expecting to make.

themosthappy91

I also recently got a copy of Personal Finances for Dummies! Haven't read it yet though, haha.

Have you tried Mint? I like that app because it syncs with your bank account so no having to input stuff.

I wouldn't sweat one month gone awry, as long as you aren't like living paycheck to paycheck (which I'm assuming you're not because you're framing this as like "Budget fail ugh" rather than "Omfg I am not going to be able to afford food now"). It happens to all of us at some point, though I understand how it can make you feel lousy.

novella1186

I guess the thing that messed me up was using my credit cards. I didn't have enough cash to pay the dentist bill (it was huge) so I charged it to my card thinking I'd have it paid off by the end of next month. No big deal. Then I put the travel on our travel card so we could get the points, and had the intention of paying that off right away. 

Then I ordered a few things and planned on paying it off right away. 

But I didn't keep track of how many things I was actually putting on my stupid cards. So I can't pay them off right away now, and have to carry a balance, which is obviously a stupid thing to do. I just feel stupid. 

Every month I transfer money over to H for my half of the rent, bills, utilities, etc. and then my car payment and student loans are set up for auto-pay so none of that is ever a problem. It's all the extras that have gotten me into trouble.  

Maggie0829

I really don't track, in detail, our spending.  Last week I bought two bathing suits.  Now there is $150 on my credit card and it doesn't close out for the month until the 21st.  So from that point on I just made a point to really watch what I was spending and only allowed myself to put gas on the card if it was needed.  I know how much I have at the end of the month after paying bills and putting money into our joint accounts/savings so I know I can only spend $X a month.  When I spend a lot in the beginning of the month I just hold off on buying other things I want till the following month.  (Did any of that make sense?  I felt like I was rambling)

Same goes for our joint credit card.  I know how much we have left at the end of the month so I know I can only spend $X.

But when it comes to unexpected things like your dental bills, well that is why a savings is important.  I rarely pull money from my savings to pay credit card bills that are full of random and unnecessary things.  But if I had unexpected medical bills then I would pull from savings because that is what it is there for, to cover the unexpected.

For awhile there I did track everything I spent, down to the bottle of soda I would buy from the vending machine at work.  But that got tedious.  So now I just make sure I am aware of what I am spending and I tend to use actual cash rather then my CC when buying lunch or things like that.  Like I will get $100 out of the bank and once that is gone then it is gone and I can't take anymore out until the next month.

labro

lyndausvi said:

I use Mint.    I was thinking of using the you need a budget (YNAB) desktop or app, but ultimately decided I didn't want to spend the money.

One thing I did take from YNAB is to buffer.  They have a philosophy that you bank your paychecks this month and then spend that money next month.      My paychecks are not the same each week , so it does help to only budget what I already made, not what I'm expecting to make.

That's interesting re: YNAB. H and I are trying it out right now and we're in our first month. It definitely makes things difficult when you estimate monthly expenses, but then you have two fathers to buy gifts for and you've only budgeted $50, or multiple birthdays in one month, or a large party, etc. So I really feel like month 1 and month 2 will be a challenge until that buffer builds up and the budget can handle big drops. We over-estimated on everything for the purpose of a leaving a buffer but a few things hit us hard like Father's Day and some home expenses and now our budget looks in the red in a few spots because of it even though we're still "within our means".

lyndausvi

novella1186 said:

I guess the thing that messed me up was using my credit cards. I didn't have enough cash to pay the dentist bill (it was huge) so I charged it to my card thinking I'd have it paid off by the end of next month. No big deal. Then I put the travel on our travel card so we could get the points, and had the intention of paying that off right away. 

Then I ordered a few things and planned on paying it off right away. 

But I didn't keep track of how many things I was actually putting on my stupid cards. So I can't pay them off right away now, and have to carry a balance, which is obviously a stupid thing to do. I just feel stupid. 

Every month I transfer money over to H for my half of the rent, bills, utilities, etc. and then my car payment and student loans are set up for auto-pay so none of that is ever a problem. It's all the extras that have gotten me into trouble.  

That is where Mint comes in handy.   You can link your cards and bank accounts.  So you always know what is on them without logging into various different sights.

You can also see how much you are spending on various catergories regardless on how you paid for the items/service.

Maggie0829

beachyone15 said:

Ugh that sucks. I use a spreadsheet too, although our finances are usually static. We pay our bills every month and whatever we have left is for entertainment/savings/etc. But it does get more complicated when you have a lot of unexpected expenses.

No joke though, I still balance a checkbook. I just don't trust online banking to always be exact. Once I record something in my checkbook, it's gone (whether or not its actually gone from my account yet). It's the only way I can always know where I'm at.

I do too.  I balanced my checkbook after I wrote the check to H&R Block for doing our taxes. The guy was really surprised and said "I had no idea people did that anymore!"  Well I like to know what I have in my checking right now, rather then wait for you to cash my check and for it to show up on my online banking.

wandajune6

Finances mean different things to different people. I'll admit- I don't keep a budget. I know my monthly expenses, amount we need to save, etc. and I just naturally spend accordingly. I know myself well enough to say that I need to put money into savings right away for the month or it will never happen. We have multiple savings locations (short-term (i.e. vacation, house emergencies), long-ish-term (in case of unemployment, etc.), retirement) and we keep everything else pretty fluid. We both know our shortcomings so we tend to avoid credit cards whenever possible.

Unexpected expenses still suck. Part of the reason we had no honeymoon was because we had massive unexpected house expenses. The vacation fund went to the giving my tenants heat. I have a tiny engagement ring because we spent a fortune on DH's teeth ( would have skipped a ring altogether but, well, family). Medical/dental expenses are the worst and very hard to budget for. I used to help people forecast these expenses for a living so I'm great at it. They're still hard to budget for.

I got into a lot of credit card debt when I was younger and worked my way out. DH spent most of his life broke so he feared credit cards (his brothers and mom made lots of mistakes). We're pretty careful. When he had toe surgery, we stopped eating out for a few months and cut down other expenses. We just weren't sure what it would end up costing us. When the washer/dryer died, we started eating through the freezer. We're far more careful/frugal than our finances require but we try very hard to be careful.

If it's available, I'd consider looking into an HSA. It's a great way to save money towards health/dental expenses with pre-tax dollars and, unlike an FSA, it stays with you forever. Some employers offer matching/etc. as well. Most HSAs come with higher deductible plans but you can find something that meets most needs.

I'd also consider opening separate accounts for savings if you're bad at budgeting. Putting money aside into each account at the beginning of the month means that you're already being responsible for future expenses - and it gives you less of an ability to get behind.

Finally, move to cash if you're not good at managing your debit/credit cards. You'd be surprised at how much less you spend when you actually need to use paper currency. DH and I have both made considerable reductions in our lunchtime spending after moving to cash.

Sorry this is so long- hope it helps!

novella1186

lyndausvi said:

novella1186 said:

I guess the thing that messed me up was using my credit cards. I didn't have enough cash to pay the dentist bill (it was huge) so I charged it to my card thinking I'd have it paid off by the end of next month. No big deal. Then I put the travel on our travel card so we could get the points, and had the intention of paying that off right away. 

Then I ordered a few things and planned on paying it off right away. 

But I didn't keep track of how many things I was actually putting on my stupid cards. So I can't pay them off right away now, and have to carry a balance, which is obviously a stupid thing to do. I just feel stupid. 

Every month I transfer money over to H for my half of the rent, bills, utilities, etc. and then my car payment and student loans are set up for auto-pay so none of that is ever a problem. It's all the extras that have gotten me into trouble.  

That is where Mint comes in handy.   You can link your cards and bank accounts.  So you always know what is on them without logging into various different sights.

You can also see how much you are spending on various catergories regardless on how you paid for the items/service.

Hm... I'm going to check it out. Seems like I need some kind of reminder or something as to what I've spent in what categories (if that makes sense). I bought some useless stuff earlier in the month and then bought more useless stuff later because I forgot about the first useless stuff and thought I had more room in my budget than I actually did. Ugh. 

novella1186

Maggie0829 said:

I really don't track, in detail, our spending.  Last week I bought two bathing suits.  Now there is $150 on my credit card and it doesn't close out for the month until the 21st.  So from that point on I just made a point to really watch what I was spending and only allowed myself to put gas on the card if it was needed.  I know how much I have at the end of the month after paying bills and putting money into our joint accounts/savings so I know I can only spend $X a month.  When I spend a lot in the beginning of the month I just hold off on buying other things I want till the following month.  (Did any of that make sense?  I felt like I was rambling)

Same goes for our joint credit card.  I know how much we have left at the end of the month so I know I can only spend $X.

But when it comes to unexpected things like your dental bills, well that is why a savings is important.  I rarely pull money from my savings to pay credit card bills that are full of random and unnecessary things.  But if I had unexpected medical bills then I would pull from savings because that is what it is there for, to cover the unexpected.

For awhile there I did track everything I spent, down to the bottle of soda I would buy from the vending machine at work.  But that got tedious.  So now I just make sure I am aware of what I am spending and I tend to use actual cash rather then my CC when buying lunch or things like that.  Like I will get $100 out of the bank and once that is gone then it is gone and I can't take anymore out until the next month.

This is exactly what H told me; to take money out of my savings and pay off the dentist bill, but I have such a hard time touching my savings. I gave myself the mentality that once the money goes into savings, it doesn't exist anymore. But I think paying off the stupid bill so I don't have to pay interest on it probably makes a lot more sense. 

teddygirl9

I think if you are only carrying a balance for a small time it shouldn't be too bad. I think I've only carried a balance once since I've had a card, because I also try to pay it off each month. But don't fret SO much. It will just stress you out more! Especially now that you've looked at the problem and realized it. Just pick yourself up and do good for the rest of the month

loveislouder

I fucked up my wedding month budget to an embarrassing amount - for the first time in my life I was in a negative balance in my account. Thankfully my bank covered it for me with no fees but holy crap, it was bad.

Don't beat yourself up over it. You seem like you're getting right back on track and that's what's important.  

Maggie0829

novella1186 said:

Maggie0829 said:

I really don't track, in detail, our spending.  Last week I bought two bathing suits.  Now there is $150 on my credit card and it doesn't close out for the month until the 21st.  So from that point on I just made a point to really watch what I was spending and only allowed myself to put gas on the card if it was needed.  I know how much I have at the end of the month after paying bills and putting money into our joint accounts/savings so I know I can only spend $X a month.  When I spend a lot in the beginning of the month I just hold off on buying other things I want till the following month.  (Did any of that make sense?  I felt like I was rambling)

Same goes for our joint credit card.  I know how much we have left at the end of the month so I know I can only spend $X.

But when it comes to unexpected things like your dental bills, well that is why a savings is important.  I rarely pull money from my savings to pay credit card bills that are full of random and unnecessary things.  But if I had unexpected medical bills then I would pull from savings because that is what it is there for, to cover the unexpected.

For awhile there I did track everything I spent, down to the bottle of soda I would buy from the vending machine at work.  But that got tedious.  So now I just make sure I am aware of what I am spending and I tend to use actual cash rather then my CC when buying lunch or things like that.  Like I will get $100 out of the bank and once that is gone then it is gone and I can't take anymore out until the next month.

This is exactly what H told me; to take money out of my savings and pay off the dentist bill, but I have such a hard time touching my savings. I gave myself the mentality that once the money goes into savings, it doesn't exist anymore. But I think paying off the stupid bill so I don't have to pay interest on it probably makes a lot more sense. 

I am the same way.  I hate going into my savings.  I much prefer to watch it grow but sometimes it is necessary.  You shouldn't make yourself super tight financially over the next few months (plus rack up interest charges on your card) because of something unexpected.  You should use your savings for the dental bill because that is why you have it.

lyndausvi

I'm not a zero balance budgeter.  YNAB gives every dollar a job.     I'm just not that strict.

Each paycheck some money gets sent various savings accounts.  Some are long term goals, others are short time.  Still others are for annual dues like car insurance or our car registration that is over $500 a year.

 Then I use Mint to keep me in check for utilities and  other controllable expenses like food and shopping.  5 months ago were spending a ridiculous amount of money on food.   Mint let me see the light.  So now I've set a goal of keeping my food budget under a certain amount.   However, I'm not going to get all upset if I happen to go over.   IDK, just keeps me in check.

peachy13

novella I am just like you when it comes to finances! I have my little spreadsheet which has must-pay expenses by the month (like mortgage, cable bill, etc.). More often than not, I'll buy a couple of fun things with the remainder on my paycheck, and every now and then, I can afford to put some away into savings (currently the wedding fund).

But here and there, I spend too much while thinking I have money to spare. "Here mom, let me treat you to lunch," "I really want to do laser hair removal," and my personal fav: "I have to go to Target for one thing." I do this and think I'm fine, and then check my bank account only to discover I only have $89 left in my checking, and my next pay day isn't for another week and a half. It sucks. I'm almost 30 and these things happen. I think I probably need a copy of "Personal Finance for Dummies" as well.

The one thing I know I do do well is that I try not to use my (previously maxed out) $0 balance credit card. And if I do, I make sure the balance gets paid quickly.

redoryx

Oof, I feel for ya as I used to way over use credit cards and got into some trouble that required dipping into savings more than once to pay it off. I'd have so much more saved up if 

I just use a google doc spreadsheet -- that way no matter what computer I'm at I can update it as needed. Buy lunch during the week? As soon as I get to my work computer I update it. Groceries on the weekend? As soon as I get home I log in. I have divided into static expenses (rent, auto withdrawals that are the same each month, etc.) and variable expenses that fluctuate and change month to month. I also keep a list of which money gets moved at which paycheck. So, this Friday I get paid, it's the second paycheck of the month, that means I'll put aside the money for rent on the 1st. Credit card charges get put on a list, too, so I can move that money to  go towards my bill as well.

I have PNC Virtual Wallet, too, which is a big help for earmarking money for later use

KatWAG

novella1186 said:

Maggie0829 said:

I really don't track, in detail, our spending.  Last week I bought two bathing suits.  Now there is $150 on my credit card and it doesn't close out for the month until the 21st.  So from that point on I just made a point to really watch what I was spending and only allowed myself to put gas on the card if it was needed.  I know how much I have at the end of the month after paying bills and putting money into our joint accounts/savings so I know I can only spend $X a month.  When I spend a lot in the beginning of the month I just hold off on buying other things I want till the following month.  (Did any of that make sense?  I felt like I was rambling)

Same goes for our joint credit card.  I know how much we have left at the end of the month so I know I can only spend $X.

But when it comes to unexpected things like your dental bills, well that is why a savings is important.  I rarely pull money from my savings to pay credit card bills that are full of random and unnecessary things.  But if I had unexpected medical bills then I would pull from savings because that is what it is there for, to cover the unexpected.

For awhile there I did track everything I spent, down to the bottle of soda I would buy from the vending machine at work.  But that got tedious.  So now I just make sure I am aware of what I am spending and I tend to use actual cash rather then my CC when buying lunch or things like that.  Like I will get $100 out of the bank and once that is gone then it is gone and I can't take anymore out until the next month.

This is exactly what H told me; to take money out of my savings and pay off the dentist bill, but I have such a hard time touching my savings. I gave myself the mentality that once the money goes into savings, it doesn't exist anymore. But I think paying off the stupid bill so I don't have to pay interest on it probably makes a lot more sense. 

I would rather dip into savings that pay interest on a credit card. I feel like paying interest is just throwing away money.

MizLiz3

peachy13 said:

But here and there, I spend too much while thinking I have money to spare. "Here mom, let me treat you to lunch," "I really want to do laser hair removal," and my personal fav: "I have to go to Target for one thing." I do this and think I'm fine, and then check my bank account only to discover I only have $89 left in my checking, and my next pay day isn't for another week and a half. It sucks. I'm almost 30 and these things happen. I think I probably need a copy of "Personal Finance for Dummies" as well.

The bolded happens to me far too often.  I have a spreadsheet and when I realize that I'm struggling to keep those little costs (an extra trip to Starbucks or three) in check, I go back to the spreadsheet.

I do pretty well typically with the big, regular expenses (mortgage, student loans, etc.).  For me the car repair bills are what really throw the regular budget out of whack and cause me to decide between credit or savings.  I try not to carry a balance on the credit card, but it's happened.

Why is personal finance not a high school or college course?  I feel like my parents did a pretty good job teaching me to be responsible, but there's still so much I don't know.

novella1186

lyndausvi said:

I'm not a zero balance budgeter.  YNAB gives every dollar a job.     I'm just not that strict.

Each paycheck some money gets sent various savings accounts.  Some are long term goals, others are short time.  Still others are for annual dues like car insurance or our car registration that is over $500 a year.

 Then I use Mint to keep me in check for utilities and  other controllable expenses like food and shopping.  5 months ago were spending a ridiculous amount of money on food.   Mint let me see the light.  So now I've set a goal of keeping my food budget under a certain amount.   However, I'm not going to get all upset if I happen to go over.   IDK, just keeps me in check.

Yeah we tracked our budget last summer and realized we were spending a stupid amount on food. We had to cut down on the recipes that included ingredients like expensive cheese, wine (to make a sauce) etc, and try to do simpler things. 

We're still trying to master that one, though. 

novella1186

KatWAG said:

novella1186 said:

Maggie0829 said:

I really don't track, in detail, our spending.  Last week I bought two bathing suits.  Now there is $150 on my credit card and it doesn't close out for the month until the 21st.  So from that point on I just made a point to really watch what I was spending and only allowed myself to put gas on the card if it was needed.  I know how much I have at the end of the month after paying bills and putting money into our joint accounts/savings so I know I can only spend $X a month.  When I spend a lot in the beginning of the month I just hold off on buying other things I want till the following month.  (Did any of that make sense?  I felt like I was rambling)

Same goes for our joint credit card.  I know how much we have left at the end of the month so I know I can only spend $X.

But when it comes to unexpected things like your dental bills, well that is why a savings is important.  I rarely pull money from my savings to pay credit card bills that are full of random and unnecessary things.  But if I had unexpected medical bills then I would pull from savings because that is what it is there for, to cover the unexpected.

For awhile there I did track everything I spent, down to the bottle of soda I would buy from the vending machine at work.  But that got tedious.  So now I just make sure I am aware of what I am spending and I tend to use actual cash rather then my CC when buying lunch or things like that.  Like I will get $100 out of the bank and once that is gone then it is gone and I can't take anymore out until the next month.

This is exactly what H told me; to take money out of my savings and pay off the dentist bill, but I have such a hard time touching my savings. I gave myself the mentality that once the money goes into savings, it doesn't exist anymore. But I think paying off the stupid bill so I don't have to pay interest on it probably makes a lot more sense. 

I would rather dip into savings that pay interest on a credit card. I feel like paying interest is just throwing away money.

Yeah, you're totally right on that. I try to reason with myself and think "I can take x amount out of savings and just pay the dentist bill now, or I can keep the savings and spend x% more on the bill in the long run cuz of all the interest." Really, paying interest is just stupid. 

novella1186

peachy13 said:

novella I am just like you when it comes to finances! I have my little spreadsheet which has must-pay expenses by the month (like mortgage, cable bill, etc.). More often than not, I'll buy a couple of fun things with the remainder on my paycheck, and every now and then, I can afford to put some away into savings (currently the wedding fund).

But here and there, I spend too much while thinking I have money to spare. "Here mom, let me treat you to lunch," "I really want to do laser hair removal," and my personal fav: "I have to go to Target for one thing." I do this and think I'm fine, and then check my bank account only to discover I only have $89 left in my checking, and my next pay day isn't for another week and a half. It sucks. I'm almost 30 and these things happen. I think I probably need a copy of "Personal Finance for Dummies" as well.

The one thing I know I do do well is that I try not to use my (previously maxed out) $0 balance credit card. And if I do, I make sure the balance gets paid quickly.

This is why I hardly ever go to Target these days! "I just need to run in and get a birthday card!" $300 later... 

Maggie0829

KatWAG said:

novella1186 said:

Maggie0829 said:

I really don't track, in detail, our spending.  Last week I bought two bathing suits.  Now there is $150 on my credit card and it doesn't close out for the month until the 21st.  So from that point on I just made a point to really watch what I was spending and only allowed myself to put gas on the card if it was needed.  I know how much I have at the end of the month after paying bills and putting money into our joint accounts/savings so I know I can only spend $X a month.  When I spend a lot in the beginning of the month I just hold off on buying other things I want till the following month.  (Did any of that make sense?  I felt like I was rambling)

Same goes for our joint credit card.  I know how much we have left at the end of the month so I know I can only spend $X.

But when it comes to unexpected things like your dental bills, well that is why a savings is important.  I rarely pull money from my savings to pay credit card bills that are full of random and unnecessary things.  But if I had unexpected medical bills then I would pull from savings because that is what it is there for, to cover the unexpected.

For awhile there I did track everything I spent, down to the bottle of soda I would buy from the vending machine at work.  But that got tedious.  So now I just make sure I am aware of what I am spending and I tend to use actual cash rather then my CC when buying lunch or things like that.  Like I will get $100 out of the bank and once that is gone then it is gone and I can't take anymore out until the next month.

This is exactly what H told me; to take money out of my savings and pay off the dentist bill, but I have such a hard time touching my savings. I gave myself the mentality that once the money goes into savings, it doesn't exist anymore. But I think paying off the stupid bill so I don't have to pay interest on it probably makes a lot more sense. 

I would rather dip into savings that pay interest on a credit card. I feel like paying interest is just throwing away money.

Yup.  My H would say "oh well I will just pay part now and then part next month."  I hated that.  I told him that he was basically paying more for things because of letting balances ride over to the next month.  At one point I gave him an example, I said "so you bought these jeans for $50 this month but instead of paying $50 for them you are going to wait until next month and instead pay $60.  Why would you pay $10 more for the same exact pair of jeans when you don't have to?!"

PandaNikki

I keep track of household expenses using a spreadsheet. For my personal accounts (checking, savings, credit card, student loans, etc) I use Learnvest. It's similar to Mint but I like their budgeting tool better and they were compatible with one of my student loan sites that Mint wasn't.

I've been having trouble with Learnvest lately so I may need to go back to Mint. It won't update with my bank accounts and I emailed them and they say they are working on it but it's been awhile.

lyndausvi

I often pay my credit card bill BEFORE the statement drops.   Say I spent $60 at the grocery store  and I put it on my card.  A week later I will pay off the balance.  Not always, but a lot times I do that.   I do not like spending money now hoping I can pay off the balance next month.  I would just rather use the card for points and pay off the balance as soon as I can.

kvruns

novella1186 said:

So, fiances. Apparently I suck at them. 

Couldn't help but giggle at that part.

I don't think letting your spending get out of control for a month is a failure by any means.  Failure to accurately track but unless you are constantly spending more than you bring in and racking up a ton of debt I wouldn't sweat it.

I don't really budget or track.  I know I should but I'm not a big spender to begin with so I know I'm never spending above my means.  When my cc bill comes each month I have been surprised a few times thinking what the hell did I buy last month but it never seems to change anything. 

 H uses the Mint.com app and likes it.  I have a friend who did he Dave Ramsey thing with her husband.  They both make good money and she is a CPA but she said they weren't really saving anything they just kept spending it all so they wanted to find out a better way to do things

novella1186

kvruns said:

novella1186 said:

So, fiances. Apparently I suck at them. 

Couldn't help but giggle at that part.

I don't think letting your spending get out of control for a month is a failure by any means.  Failure to accurately track but unless you are constantly spending more than you bring in and racking up a ton of debt I wouldn't sweat it.

I don't really budget or track.  I know I should but I'm not a big spender to begin with so I know I'm never spending above my means.  When my cc bill comes each month I have been surprised a few times thinking what the hell did I buy last month but it never seems to change anything. 

 H uses the Mint.com app and likes it.  I have a friend who did he Dave Ramsey thing with her husband.  They both make good money and she is a CPA but she said they weren't really saving anything they just kept spending it all so they wanted to find out a better way to do things

Bhaha I didn't even notice that! I just fixed it. It's probably an extra bad sign when you can't even spell the word.