How often do you go over your finances?

[ApplianceJunk]

I make it a point to sit down and look over our finances once a week.

 

It's always on the same day of the week and first thing in the morning before I do anything else for the day.

 

I keep our bills paid a month ahead of time this way if for what ever reason something unexpected comes up for the week or two weeks were I can't sit down and go over things I know the bills are taken care of for the time being.

 

Even though our bills and investments are done online I'm low tech in how I keep track of them.

 

I tried quicken a few years ago, but found a notebook and pen makes it simple and easy for me.

 

How about you? Do you go over your finances daily, weekly, once a month or maybe every payday?

 

Are you using any type of software to aid you or does pen and paper do the trick for you?

Edited October 29, 2009 by ApplianceJunk

[higher180]

I make a budget everymonth on the last day of the month before. I know where every penny goes. I've pretty much had to work from scratch and go through baby steps, and I'm not quite there yet, but I'm getting much better at my money management

[Kevin20]

I really just review my finances once a month (usually over a couple of days) as payday approaches. I use an Excel spreadsheet to plan and track my budget for recurring expenses. I've got it set up so that as the next month approaches, I tweak any variables and so can see what my excess cash flow will be for the month, and decide how to disburse that ahead of time.

 

I get paid once a month at the end of the month. I transfer a block of money into a secondary account, from which most expenses are automatically paid without my intervention -- all that's on autopilot. Within a couple days after payday, everything is done and I've left myself a few hundred dollars in primary checking account with which to buy gas and groceries etc. for the month.

 

I've tried Quicken a couple of times but just never found any benefit in it for me.

[caffeinekid]

I really just review my finances once a month (usually over a couple of days) as payday approaches. I use an Excel spreadsheet to plan and track my budget for recurring expenses. I've got it set up so that as the next month approaches, I tweak any variables and so can see what my excess cash flow will be for the month, and decide how to disburse that ahead of time.

 

I get paid once a month at the end of the month. I transfer a block of money into a secondary account, from which most expenses are automatically paid without my intervention -- all that's on autopilot. Within a couple days after payday, everything is done and I've left myself a few hundred dollars in primary checking account with which to buy gas and groceries etc. for the month.

 

I've tried Quicken a couple of times but just never found any benefit in it for me.

 

Pretty much ditto here, except that I do ours every two weeks and don't have anything on autopilot. Everything is paid well ahead of due dates this way.

 

The reason I don't do auto draws is because I don't trust them. Call me old school, but you would be surprised at the stupid little things that can throw a wrench into the system and result in a PITA on your part. It could be as simple as a bank error (I've actually had this happen!) or a change in procedure that is mailed to an email address that you don't check very often.

[one-one]

About every 5 minutes.

 

Unless you're talking about really, really serious thinking about it and then it's more like every 10 minutes.

[Enjay]

I was getting obsessive there for a while, so I'm cutting down on checking up on everything. I still check my accounts a few times a week but I sit down just once to pay bills and balance everything. I've been doing this for so long I could practically do it in my sleep.

[radi8]

The reason I don't do auto draws is because I don't trust them. Call me old school, but you would be surprised at the stupid little things that can throw a wrench into the system and result in a PITA on your part. It could be as simple as a bank error (I've actually had this happen!) or a change in procedure that is mailed to an email address that you don't check very often.

 

I don't do many auto-pays anymore because much of my income is on a net-30 invoice basis and some clients have been stretching that "30" by unpredictable amounts.

If I have an unusually large bill I might have to push it back a few days until more payments come in. The alternative is to pull it out of savings, which requires manual intervention anyway as savings is at a different institution than checking.

 

I go over the numbers at the end of each month to plan for the upcoming month. Still do it the old-old fashioned way, in a ledger book...with a pencil.

In the time it takes me to get the laptop, boot it up and start up Excel, I'm already done.

[Kevin20]

I go over the numbers at the end of each month to plan for the upcoming month. Still do it the old-old fashioned way, in a ledger book...with a pencil.

In the time it takes me to get the laptop, boot it up and start up Excel, I'm already done.

 

 

Yes but what about your automatically-generated pie charts? Where's the pie charts?? It's hard to draw a good circle with a pencil!

[higher180]

I go over the numbers at the end of each month to plan for the upcoming month. Still do it the old-old fashioned way, in a ledger book...with a pencil.

In the time it takes me to get the laptop, boot it up and start up Excel, I'm already done.

 

 

Yes but what about your automatically-generated pie charts? Where's the pie charts?? It's hard to draw a good circle with a pencil!

 

 

 

 

 

my circles look oval more than they do circles haha!

[Operation_Home_Ownership]

I could probably be listed under the category as "obsessed" or "extremely organized" when it comes to my Finances.

I check almost if not everyday. I use an online site coupled with the old pen & paper write-up which I carry around with me in my purse everywhere!

 

I know after taxes the minimum I bring home per bi-weekly paycheck, so my expenses down to the penny are projected 6 months out...any random OT worked is treated as xtra $$$ to play with. I lump ALL of this planning into 3 bank transactions a month to complete execution of aforementioned obsession. Rinse & repeat.

 

I tried giving this up, but I think I need a 12-step program.

Edited November 4, 2009 by Operation_Home_Ownership

[LBCS]

I could probably be listed under the category as "obsessed" or "extremely organized" when it comes to my Finances.

I check almost if not everyday. I use an online site coupled with the old pen & paper write-up which I carry around with me in my purse everywhere!

 

I know after taxes the minimum I bring home per bi-weekly paycheck, so my expenses down to the penny are projected 6 months out...any random OT worked is treated as xtra $$ to play with. I lump ALL of this planning into 3 bank transactions a month to complete execution of aforementioned obsession. Rinse & repeat.

 

I tried giving this up, but I think I need a 12-step program.

 

What do you do for work, OHO?

Edited November 5, 2009 by LBCS

[radi8]

I go over the numbers at the end of each month to plan for the upcoming month. Still do it the old-old fashioned way, in a ledger book...with a pencil.

In the time it takes me to get the laptop, boot it up and start up Excel, I'm already done.

 

 

Yes but what about your automatically-generated pie charts? Where's the pie charts?? It's hard to draw a good circle with a pencil!

 

Yeah, I know. I think my bank account would be in far better shape if only I had the pie charts.

 

*off to find a compass and protractor*

[Operation_Home_Ownership]

I could probably be listed under the category as "obsessed" or "extremely organized" when it comes to my Finances.

I check almost if not everyday. I use an online site coupled with the old pen & paper write-up which I carry around with me in my purse everywhere!

 

I know after taxes the minimum I bring home per bi-weekly paycheck, so my expenses down to the penny are projected 6 months out...any random OT worked is treated as xtra $$ to play with. I lump ALL of this planning into 3 bank transactions a month to complete execution of aforementioned obsession. Rinse & repeat.

 

I tried giving this up, but I think I need a 12-step program.

 

What do you do for work, OHO?

 

*iPod* [romantic music] I'll tell you up in the loft [aka PMs]

[Cactus Flower]

Daily....

yes I realize that probably is an indication of OCD...

 

but seriously. I go over everything.. every day.

 

[TJ Girl]

Add me to the "daily" crowd. Although a lot of times I don't bother on the weekends, because only a few of my accounts update on non-business days.

 

Part of my morning routine is to bring up Quicken Online and review upcoming bills, expected account balances (is anything going to go negative in the next couple weeks), transactions that have and haven't cleared, and how I'm doing on my budget for the month (e.g. can I eat in the cafeteria today, or am I pushing my "dining" budget item ).

I also watch for any unexpected transactions that might mean unauthorized access to my accounts.

 

About once/month I review my long-term spending habits and adjust my budget for the upcoming month.

[ApplianceJunk]

In the time it takes me to get the laptop, boot it up and start up Excel, I'm already done.

 

People turn there computers off? lol..

[GEORGE]

I think I have I on the calandar for 2142

[cb_opus]

Add me to the daily list.

 

(I take weekends off. )

 

I check everything daily, but set the budget a month in advance.

 

Actually have preliminary budgets at least 6 months ahead, but tweak the month before, and during the month if necessary.

[Uncle Leo]

Once a week, ideally. Every two weeks at payday, if I get lazy. I use Quicken, though not to it's full capability. I used to budget a few months in advance then tweak at each payday if unexpected costs came up, and I really need to get back to that.

[DigitalGeist]

I get paid every other week. I have a calendar and an excel spreadsheet. I figure out ahead of time what bills need to be paid with exact amounts. From that I designate an "allowance" for the next two weeks. The rest goes to my snowball credit card. I have two cards. I pay the min to one and the snowball amount to the other.

[john corner]

every month as usual i will prepare my budget... a separate amount will be set apart for any mortgages and other liabilities.......

[athensgaguy]

I look pretty often. I enter my receipts in GnuCash each day, and check for clearing whenever I feel like it. I keep a rolling spreadsheet with about 3 months of expenses budgeted.

[AnonymouslyIndebted]

I get paid bi-monthly so I usually review my finances, twice every month, but more importantly at the end of each month where I have to pay most of the bills. And I make it sure that I stick to it, otherwise, there's no use in budgeting.