Spreadsheet tracking every penny vs. just checking my balance once a week

I used to log every single coffee and gas purchase down to the cent for two years, but last month I switched to a quick glance at my checking account every Sunday. Which method actually keeps you from overspending without driving yourself crazy?

3 comments

3 Comments

juliaa651mo ago

Why not just check your balance every day instead of once a week?

the_rowan1mo agoTop Commenter

My neighbor checks hers hourly and still bounced a check last week.

finleym3729d ago

Is it really that much extra work to just check your balance daily instead of once a week? I gotta disagree with you a bit there, @juliaa65. In my experience, checking every day just made me anxious and I still overspent because I'd see the number and think "oh I have room" then rack up little charges that added up. Weekly is a good middle ground, but I actually found tracking every penny for a short period really helped me see where my money was going then I could relax. Your mileage may vary, but for me the detailed tracking for a month or two was key to building better habits, not the daily checking.