How to track monthly expenses-share ur experience

Hi

Thanks for all your suggestion.

I am not alone... many or breaking therir head is it

Thanks sowmya, please share it would be helpful, if you don't mind

 

Thanks Srividya. Will check that thread soon.

 

Hey guys,,

Dont worry now !!!
check Billbook

I think this will resolve your problem, and its free.

Regards
Solanki

 

Hi


I am very new to this thread but would love to give some saving tips

• Please plan a monthly budget before you even start with wrting down the expenditure
• Then allocate the budgets for rent ,milk,pocket money ,festival expenses ,petrol expenses ,provisions and so on as per your needs.
• Please put all this date along with month and year and take 12 prit outs for each month
• Now please start filling all the columns of expenses and do have a column for miscc expenses.
• Do have expenses for gifts ,festivals ,eating out expenses.
• SO please note down and start writing every month.
• Buy only products which you require for the month and do not overstock since you will use more than required except the basic items like rice,oil and Red chillies .
• Start with a budget and slowly you will know the estimate from 3 months data and you will figure out where to cut short the expenses
• Slowly you will start saving and live better.
• My one suggestion is which I strongly believe is please keep 100rs for God every month and I ve opened a separate account.
• This really helps to achieve my target for savings ,I ve been doing it for 5 yrs now.

Cheers
Mahima
seattle

 

That's a good todo list.. thanks for that mahima

 

very nice suggestions everyone! Saving is the only thing which will come to rescue should something go wrong.
Though I do not maintain an excel and all (mostly because I am lazy), I do make sure that I do not indulge in something which I really dont need it.

1. If something is over $150 and I want to buy it, I usually discuss this with my husband. Not because he is controlling (he is an absolute sweetheart), just to make sure that we both are not spending unnecessarily. He also does the same thing.
2. Like Meena, I also keep aside $20 every week in front of God. Which means by the end of the month I have $80 and by the end of the year I have $960. $20 a week is really not big money but $960 is!!!!
3. I buy things on sale...like toilet papers, shampoo, pastes etc. I have room for them for now...when the baby comes things might change.
4. I try and buy groceries from an Indian store as the local stores are very expensive.
5. I dont go overboard with shoes, handbags and new outfits.
6. Lastly, my investments are managed by a very reliable consultant which makes me less stressful.

 

Hi Rakhi;
that was a good advice...Thanks for sharing your part..

 

The info given is useful, though I would disagree with one point raised by member MeenaBalu.

I really do stock on rice, dals etc. when the price is low, i.e., usually between Jan and May. Prices really do shoot up when southwest monsoon sets in India. (See for example, price of tuvar dal has shot up by 30% in just a month) From May onwards, I start stocking up and as we are only three of us, I really do not need huge quantities to store.

 

Hat, wouldn't the toor dal get spoil if you store it for long time?

 

Re: How to keep track of household expenses?

hi,
try using <a href='http://www.billbook.net' >Billbook.net</a>

This application has helped me a lot in mainaining my expenses.
I've been using this for quite a long time and i've realised that now i can save money at the end of every month.

The best part of this application is that you can not only maintain your personal expense but also the expenses shared with in a group.

To start with :
1.) Create your own expense group
2.) Invite other people in the group.
3.) Start maintaining your expenses.

Now i dont have to beg for my own money from other colleagues, this tool automatically send them the reminder to return my money..

I love it . !!

Thanks to <a href='http://www.billbook.net' >Billbook.net</a>

Regards
Sandy !