Hello …
A few years ago, I meticulously tracked every penny, cent, and yen I earned and spent over a two-year period. It was a life-changing process, but it was also very labor-intensive. I kept receipts for cash purchases and would sit down about once a month (or less frequently over time) to convert these receipts and bank statements into my preferred currency (GBP). I categorized everything in a custom spreadsheet, which I found therapeutic, despite the time commitment. One unexpected benefit was that my spending naturally dropped by around 30% as I became more aware of unconscious habits, like picking up convenience food, simply because I knew I’d have to log it later.
Now, I want to pick up this habit again, but I’m looking to streamline the process to make it more sustainable. I once had three months’ worth of receipts to log, and the backlog became so overwhelming that I ended up giving up. I even tried hiring a freelancer on Fiverr to input the data, but I faced issues with errors, privacy concerns, and the need to explain the process and scan the receipts.
Does anyone have tips or tools that could help modernize my finance tracking? I’m hoping to find a way to make it easier and less time-consuming while still maintaining the benefits of being aware of my spending. Thanks in advance for your suggestions 