expense tracking tips

Expense Tracking Made Easy With These Quick Tips

Getting started with expense tracking might seem intimidating at first, but it is actually quite easy. You just have to find a system to track your expenses, make a habit of collecting all of your receipts, checking your account statements, and categorizing your expenses. Once you get into these habits, you will have no problem with tracking your expenses.

Expense Tracking Tips

Try Using An App

The first thing you should do when you start expense tracking is you should consider downloading an expense tracking app. There are a lot of apps available for both iPhone and Android that you can use to track your expenses on the go.

Some of these include apps like Mint and You Need a Budget. These apps help you categorize your expenses and work well as long as you are dedicated to carefully logging each and every one of them into the app.

Try Creating A Spreadsheet

If you do not like keeping track of your expenses in an app, there are other options that you can use. One of the most popular expense tracking systems is to create spreadsheets. You can make your own spreadsheet yourself, or you can find a template online.

Another popular alternative to creating a spreadsheet is to buy professional software. This is a good idea if you have a more complicated financial portfolio, such as if you run a business. This helps you consolidate all of your bank transactions into one place and keep an eye on them.

Keep Your Receipts

One of the most important tips for expense tracking is to keep all of your receipts. Every time you make a physical transaction, you should always ask for a copy of the receipt. Any time you make a purchase or payment online, you should save a copy of your digital receipt and print it out.

box of receipts

It is a good idea to keep all of these receipts in a binder or box of some sort. Throughout the month you should keep an eye on the receipts. At the end of every month, you should sit down and thoroughly analyze the receipts to get a better understanding of your spending habits and how to fix them.

Check Your Account Statements

In addition to saving all of your receipts and logging your transactions into your spreadsheet or expense tracking app, you should also make a habit of regularly checking your bank account statements.

This will help you keep an eye on how you are spending your money and if you accidentally lose one of your receipts, you will have a record of it in your bank statement.

This will also help you notice if there are any fraudulent charges on your account. This is important to be aware of because it could be a sign that your identity or credit card information has been stolen.

Categorize Your Expenses

Another important expense tracking habit to get into is categorizing your expenses. Keeping an eye on your expenses only helps if you are also categorizing your expenses so you know how you are spending your money.

For example, you should divide your expenses into categories such as food, utility bills, rent, gas, clothing, entertainment, insurance, and any other expenses that you have. Categorizing your expenses this way will help you understand how much your lifestyle is costing you and help you look for any ways that you can trim the fat and reduce your budget.

Getting Extra Help

One of the main benefits of expense tracking is that it will help you learn how to make changes to your budget so that you can save more money. The problem is that you might encounter an unexpected emergency expense before you can finish building up your emergency savings fund.

When this happens, there is no need to worry. There are options that you can consider, and one of those options includes getting a fast payday loan with Idaho Title Loans, Inc. This is a way to borrow money and then pay it back when you get your next paycheck.

These are the advantages that come with applying for a fast payday loan:

  • You can get anywhere between $100 and $500 in emergency cash
  • You can quickly get approved in the store
  • There are neighborhood locations close to you
  • The online payday loan application form is quick and easy

The only things that you need in order to get started are the following items:

  • An active checking account
  • A blank check from your checking account
  • Your most recent pay stub, to prove your income level and ability to repay the loan
  • Your driver’s license or another valid form of government-issued photo ID

Final Thoughts

Expense tracking is simple once you find a system that works for you. Get into the habit of saving your receipts, monitoring your bank account statements, and categorizing your expenses.

Note: The content provided in this article is only for informational purposes, and you should contact your financial advisor about your specific financial situation.

Mason Roberts

Mason Roberts is a seasoned economics writer and blogger with a knack for breaking down and simply communicating the ever-changing world of finance. He is philosophically committed to the premise that financial knowledge equals financial freedom.