Last year I practiced a new system that I developed for keeping track of my expenses. Although there are apps and other tools or methods, I needed something that would work for me with my chaotic schedule. Every day I go out and I make choices with my Money. Every purchase is a vote with my Dollars. As Loonie as they are, our Loonies are still valuable. Every $1 CAD is 823 Satoshis.
At least today, and tracking Relative Values across time is a hobby of mine, starting with interest in Currencies like the US Dollar or the Euro, and then Asset money like Silver ounces and Gold Dimes.
And Bitcoin, BTC and of course Hive. I am digressing, we all have choices! To buy consumable goods, depreciating machinery, or Assets. I have some goals to start buying Stock in the companies where I spend my money, that seems like a reasonable ambition to invest like Warren Buffett.
He was HODLing with Berkshire Hathaway long before BTC made push payments possible. And there are lots of great blockchain solutions for finance, but I continue to digress from my point.
I have updated my receipt tracking, at nearly the end of the first quarter! Although I have some double-checking to do, verifying each weeks transactions back to the start of January, it has been a success! As you can see in my image there, a small bundle of just Index Cards, Envelopes, and a Laminate Spiral Portfolio, receipts organized and double-recorded on paper and index then sorted into daily envelopes, in two zipper cases.
Now I can go out today confident that my finances are at least under control this week. I will 'push' my Cash as a payment to my Credit card next week; a crucial part of this Routine and Habit plan. I carried a balance for over a year and that was like $50/month I was paying for interest on past purchases. That is +$600/yr I could be using for other things-- Buying BTC, paying Bills, or buying Shoes?
My New System needed to be adaptable. The more time I spend 'catching up' each week, the easier it is to keep organized. If I wanted to be critical I would suggest to myself that I need to make more notes on the back of the receipts at the time of purchase, especially when it is a fuel receipt.
Learn from my trial & error! Do not get into debt. I am sure this all seems common sense, but there are good reasons to spend money even on credit. You think you'll be able to pay for it at a future date; but how many times has your past self asked you to pay today? Stop charging your self, and start paying your future self by investing and cutting loose all the bad choices you make with money.
Next I want to determine my Monthly Cashflow and subtract Expenses from Income, so I can determine if I am making any money, and where I could save money over the next three months. I set a goal to have $3000 saved by the end of February, but the best laid plans are often foiled by Mice.
@Darkflame
