Is there some sort of cheap bookkeeping service that I should be running my money through, that will do a better job of saving my money for me than I have done?
My YTD numbers compared to the last couple years tell me that I should have much more money saved than I do.
I know that my self discipline (lack thereof) and budgets (I have not used a budget) have failed me so far.
There's always Quicken. But an evening with a spreadsheet, analyzing your income, checkbook, and credit card statements should paint an outline for you.
Sounds like you won't be buying both the truck and robot (per other thread).
The fastest way to slow yourself down with the smaller items that can really add up is to spend cash. When you see that green stuff leaving your hand it is much more "real" than sliding a card or waving a phone.
Holy Cow, post: 330486, member: 50 wrote: The fastest way to slow yourself down with the smaller items that can really add up is to spend cash.
[curmudgeonry]
And I intend to continue with that approach as long as it's legal.
However, it is getting more difficult. Some places won't/can't make change for a $50 or $100 if the purchase is under $20. I can't remember what it was someone told me a couple weeks ago that they were buying and exact change cash was refused. Ads on TV make fun of people paying small amounts with cash (was it donuts or fast food?), hotels would rather leave it on the credit card (which was required to make the reservation), it's a lot more work to buy gasoline with cash (prepay inside), etc.... I bought my first car (new in '72) with cash carried across the town square from the bank. Now to buy even a decent used car, the amount is enough to require federal paperwork that puts you on the suspected tax evader and drug pusher lists.
Cash is on the way out, but I hope it is a slow enough exit to last my lifetime. I don't want to see the day when you can't buy a meal without a smart phone.
[/curmudgeonry]
Some tricks that work for me...
A: If I can't afford to pay cash, I can't afford it.
B: I keep only very limited cash in my wallet.
And when I'm getting really desperate, C: I record EVERY purchase in a small notebook
You feel it at the gas station when you fork over a 50, a 20 and a few 1's to fill up the chariot. Any time you drop a 100 and anything else you think about it. If I had to put a quarter in my phone every time I wanted to make a call, I'd make a lot fewer calls.
Getting all nostalgic here. Thinking of penny candy, dime bottles of pop and nickle candy bars. A lunch of a hamburger, fries and a milk shake and getting a bit of change back out of a dollar bill. 35 .9 being the common, non-gas war, price for a gallon of gasoline. Gas war. When was the last time you heard about one of those?
Holy Cow, post: 330500, member: 50 wrote: You feel it at the gas station when you fork over a 50, a 20 and a few 1's to fill up the chariot. Any time you drop a 100 and anything else you think about it. If I had to put a quarter in my phone every time I wanted to make a call, I'd make a lot fewer calls.
Getting all nostalgic here. Thinking of penny candy, dime bottles of pop and nickle candy bars. A lunch of a hamburger, fries and a milk shake and getting a bit of change back out of a dollar bill. 35 .9 being the common, non-gas war, price for a gallon of gasoline. Gas war. When was the last time you heard about one of those?
Gas War? Not in that name exactly but how about Gulf War or Iraq War?
What I was referring to was a fairly common event where one gas station would lower its prices to lure more customers, then the others would drop theirs even lower, which lead to some dropping even lower yet. It was great.
Holy Cow, post: 330527, member: 50 wrote: What I was referring to was a fairly common event where one gas station would lower its prices to lure more customers, then the others would drop theirs even lower, which lead to some dropping even lower yet. It was great.
Oops, sorry. That doesn't really happen here now that the vast majority of the stations are run by two companies. Somehow Australia has been complacent enough to let these two companies dominate supermarkets, hardware stores and gas stations. It doesn't bode well for the future as the smaller players in the businesses slowly shut down.
I am gonna try mint.com
Seb, post: 330514, member: 7509 wrote: Gas War? Not in that name exactly but how about Gulf War or Iraq War?
:good:
...gone are the days when a gas war saved you money, and spilled a lot less blood.
I have operated several different ways over the years. I use to have a company credit card that was used for everything from hotel rooms for the crews to weed-eater string at the hardware store. It got completely out of hand. I was blowing a lot of money each month. Some of it was work related, some of it wasn't. I guess I figured since I was the owner, I could do that.
I actually still have the credit card, but I started keeping cold cash in my wallet for personal expenses. And I quit purchasing gasoline on the card, I got a different card for gasoline for the trucks.
Carrying cash does put it in perspective. I bet I'm saving 12k a year just from exhibiting a little "self control".
Brad Ott, post: 330556, member: 197 wrote: I am gonna try mint.com
I have been using mint for over a year now for all my personal stuff and really like it. You can slowly add in things like budgets and upcoming bill dates and amounts. It also will slowly learn when recurring bills are due. You can add in all of your accounts like credit, savings, checking, 401k, car loans, etc and you can choose what to see and what to get notified about. If you don't want to add all your accounts you just choose what you want in there. They also provide a credit score free every quarter I believe. The "Advice" section is just ads and I just tolerate their existence.
"Carrying cash does put it in perspective."
Just the opposite can work, too. Using your debit card for everything and reviewing your account online on a daily or weekly basis lets you see how the little things pile up. After all, that's a big part of what things like mint.com do.
Norman Oklahoma, post: 330584, member: 9981 wrote: "Carrying cash does put it in perspective."
Just the opposite can work, too. Using your debit card for everything and reviewing your account online on a daily or weekly basis lets you see how the little things pile up. After all, that's a big part of what things like mint.com do.
I'm sure that's true also. Cash works for me probably because of the generation I'm from. If I had something other than an old flip-phone I could check my balances, etc. I avoid debit cards because of security issues. I got rid of mine when the bank called and asked about a large purchase in Turin, Italy...at a clothing store. I cancelled the card (even though the purchase was declined) on the spot after telling them I hadn't even made it out of Cleveland County. Scary stuff.
The debit card has the same protections as a credit card. I hardly ever have cash, but I will never put my debit card info into my phone to pay for items that way. I have had 2 instances of fraudulent purchases with my debit card information, and other than the inconvenience of waiting a few days for a new card to come in the mail, I didn't lose any money.
paden cash, post: 330586, member: 20 wrote: I'm sure that's true also. Cash works for me ....
The thing with using cash is its ability to enforce a budget. When you are out of cash, your out until you get your next "allowance".
That really cuts out the impulsive shopping. You can only spend what you have on you at the time.
Pay yourself first. That is what I have been told.
