Question

Do you follow a budget? What do you use to keep track? If you don't use a budget, do you do anything similar?  

Answer 1

I just signed up for and started setting up YNAB. I don’t have any experience with budget apps. It may just be me, but I don’t see the logic in it yet. Will keep playing with it.  

Comments

@egan2 it took some getting used to but I love it now. I recommend watching some of the YouTube videos about it.  

---

@schizophyceous, good idea. Thanks.  

Answer 2

I use mint, but I’m more focused on aggressive saving/investing and conscious spending so I don’t really have a budget.  

Comments

Same here - Mint was a great tool to take a look at everything and track for a few months, but I am more with @flocky on this one. Also, I'm not really a fan of giving all of my information (credit card info, bank account info, mortgage info, investment account info, etc., etc., etc. ) to a third party. I think this sort of thing should be kept to a minimum. so I used Mint but then scrubbed my account of all data, hoping that it truly has been erased

Answer 3

Yes. Excel.  

Answer 4

Mint app

Answer 5

Credit card monthly target amount and monthly savings account increases.  

Answer 6

YNAB and I actually first heard of YNAB due to this group. Love it

Answer 7

We have a budget, we don’t follow it.  

Comments

@albrecht SAME.  

Answer 8

YNAB! I was skeptical because of the (very small) fee. but it’s worth it! No going back for me.  

Answer 9

We like Mint.  

Answer 10

YNAB is the greatest. Tried Mint, but it wasn't helping me save money.  

Answer 11

Spending plan (not budget). In excel - showing my age, lol.  

Comments

@communicative can you elaborate on what a spending plan is vs a budget?  

---

A budget is much more restrictive. It’s about forced restrictions on your spending. A budget sets limits on all categories of spending. A spending plan is more flexible - you make sure you cover your priorities and then set an amount that you can spend on other things. You have flexibility with that money.  

---

Similar to the difference between a diet and healthy eating.  

Answer 12

You only need a spreadsheet and a plan.  

Answer 13

Have a budget, stay within the budget (usually, lol) and use EveryDollar.  

Answer 14

Yes, I use excel. I know people don’t like it but I can make it exactly the way I want. When I tried Mint you have to use their system and I found that more of a pain than inputting the transactions. I do it once or twice a month, but to make sure I don’t overspend I opened have a debit card that I use for personal spending. I can use a credit card if the acc is empty but it reminds me that I’ve overspent that month

Answer 15

I have a notebook (I like physical stuff). It's basically just all our bills and savings goal per check and then the rest of the money is 'free' money. I don't budget food, shopping, ECT, . It's all in the leftover pile

Answer 16

For those of you using YNAB, do you link your accounts or not? Pros /cons of each?  

Comments

@egan2 I didn't used to because of the delay in seeing th transactions come through. Now I do because I can still manually add the transactions and it automatically links to my manual transaction when it comes through.  

---

@cupulate, so do you add them in manually and then rely on the import to catch anything you might have forgotten?  

---

@egan2 you can yes. You don't have to manually enter them either. I just prefer to because I want my budget to always be in real time.  

---

@cupulate, understood. Probably also keeps you more aware of spending. I’d be ok with utilities and things like that being automatically entered, but I pay those through my debit account, so would probably have to have the whole debit account linked, which I don’t think I want.  

---

@egan2 I prefer manually doing it all. In a world where we rarely use cash anymore, manually adding my transactions in YNAB has added back in that separating with my hard earned money feeling that I was lacking.  

---

@schizophyceous, good point.  

Answer 17

Mint for personal and QB for work

Answer 18

I use YNAB and love it. I tried many others and this is the only one that works well for me.  

Answer 19

Simple excel spreadsheet! And cash envelopes (pre COVID)

Answer 20

Google docs spread sheet. line items. subtract out from in. update as needed. done.  

Answer 21

Mint. com

Answer 22

A neon colored notecard in my wallet

Answer 23

I think I am the only person in the world who tried YNAB and didn’t like it. I print out a calendar every month and write down what days and what amounts go out and come in.  

Answer 24

I kinda just a "invest x% then spend the rest" type budget

Answer 25

Mint all day, every day

Answer 26

I transfer a set amount from checkings to savings as soon as I get paid and never touch that money except to invest. The remaining money in my checking account is freee game! I usually live like a queen the first week after I get paid and then like a poor broke person the last few days before I get paid again haha. This strategy works for me!