https://boards.hellobee.com/ Pregnancy, Baby and Parenting blog, by Hellobee en Sat, 09 May 2026 18:53:21 +0000 https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/if-you-budget-and-track-your-spending/page/2#post-1810071 Mon, 11 Aug 2014 15:28:48 +0000 birdofafeather 1810071@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Mrs. High Heels: we do the same in YNAB! pre-ynab, i split it in mint.com </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/if-you-budget-and-track-your-spending/page/2#post-1809986 Mon, 11 Aug 2014 15:00:32 +0000 mediagirl 1809986@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Mrs. High Heels: it's okay! I like reading the tips and info on it. I created a new thread. :) </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/if-you-budget-and-track-your-spending/page/2#post-1809978 Mon, 11 Aug 2014 14:58:47 +0000 Mrs. High Heels 1809978@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@mediagirl: Ack, sorry for the threadjack! I think we got too excited talking about YNAB... </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/if-you-budget-and-track-your-spending/page/2#post-1809974 Mon, 11 Aug 2014 14:57:51 +0000 mediagirl 1809974@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Mrs. High Heels: @.twist.: @Danizaur: want to start a separate YNAB chat thread on the main boards? I'd love to talk more about it but don't want this one to get too bogged down in it. :) </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/if-you-budget-and-track-your-spending/page/2#post-1809954 Mon, 11 Aug 2014 14:51:34 +0000 Mrs. High Heels 1809954@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@.twist.: Hahahaa! You crack me up</p> <p>I can't speak for @TemperanceBrennan: , but for me I put text notes under my master categories that say something like, "CAN I GET THIS DOWN TO $1000/month???" :silly: </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/if-you-budget-and-track-your-spending/page/2#post-1809950 Mon, 11 Aug 2014 14:49:36 +0000 .twist. 1809950@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Mrs. High Heels: haha, it makes me want to be all like:</p> <p>[attach=1438/14/na5r2o.400x345.625611_orig.jpeg]</p> <p>to people who budget the "old" way. HAH </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/if-you-budget-and-track-your-spending/page/2#post-1809946 Mon, 11 Aug 2014 14:47:46 +0000 .twist. 1809946@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@TemperanceBrennan: What do you mean? I have never used the comment portion because I don't know what I would put there. Like, you enter your budgeted dollar amount from your "available to budget" money, and then you write a comment about how much you would actually like to spend? So, you budgeted $100 in Clothes and you comment that you'd only like to spend $50? Sorry, I am super curious what you mean because I like the sounds of it! :D </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/if-you-budget-and-track-your-spending/page/2#post-1809944 Mon, 11 Aug 2014 14:46:44 +0000 Mrs. High Heels 1809944@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@.twist.: Yes, I had to change my mindset from forecasting too! All of YNAB's reasonings make so much sense - makes me wonder why I wasn't doing it before!</p> <p>@TemperanceBrennan: I also have a little comment for each category to put my ideal monthly goal too! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/if-you-budget-and-track-your-spending/page/2#post-1809936 Mon, 11 Aug 2014 14:41:27 +0000 TemperanceBrennan 1809936@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>We have recently started shopping at a grocery store instead of Target for food items like we used to do. I usually split the transactions in YNAB, but if it is only one or two small things in a different category and I know I have enough money sitting in the category I won't bother splitting it out.</p> <p>I'm another diehard YNABer and totally recommend it. I know they usually offer 1/2 price sales for Black Friday. </p> <p>@.twist.: Changing our mindset from forecasting to budgeting was huge for us too! I use the little comment feature for each category to put the ideal monthly goal so it's easy for me to reference. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/if-you-budget-and-track-your-spending/page/2#post-1809890 Mon, 11 Aug 2014 14:16:08 +0000 artsyfartsy 1809890@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@mediagirl: @Mrs. High Heels: @.twist.: Another YNAB fanatic here. It's seriously life changing! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/if-you-budget-and-track-your-spending/page/2#post-1809883 Mon, 11 Aug 2014 14:13:17 +0000 artsyfartsy 1809883@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I don't separate them. If it's in our weekly Walmart (don't smack me) run I count it as groceries!</p> <p>Plus it's easier to budget money for it, because I know we average $100ish a week at Walmart and I never know how much we need for household vs groceries. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/if-you-budget-and-track-your-spending/page/2#post-1809870 Mon, 11 Aug 2014 14:07:00 +0000 .twist. 1809870@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Mrs. High Heels: You explained it well. This is what we do too. Our chequeing accounts and cc's are all under "on budget accounts". So when I spend from my cc, it takes it out of our "budget" section. Like you, we are living on last months budget so our cc's get paid off each month. </p> <p>The biggest adjustment for me, when starting YNAB, was trying not to forecast our budget. I was SO confused! But, now that I have figured it out, it makes so much more sense to budget this way. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/if-you-budget-and-track-your-spending/page/2#post-1809840 Mon, 11 Aug 2014 13:54:56 +0000 regberadaisy 1809840@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Mrs. High Heels: yes :) </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/if-you-budget-and-track-your-spending/page/2#post-1809839 Mon, 11 Aug 2014 13:54:46 +0000 Mrs. High Heels 1809839@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@locavore_mama: Haha, thanks!! It's a good feeling. BUT did I answer your question?? </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/if-you-budget-and-track-your-spending/page/2#post-1809835 Mon, 11 Aug 2014 13:52:12 +0000 regberadaisy 1809835@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Mrs. High Heels: WOOHOO on completing rule #4!!! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/if-you-budget-and-track-your-spending/page/2#post-1809831 Mon, 11 Aug 2014 13:49:57 +0000 Mrs. High Heels 1809831@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@locavore_mama: Oh ok - I think I know what you're saying (tell me if I'm misinterpreting!). We have been able to build a buffer, so we currently "live on last month's income" (YNAB Rule #4). At the beginning of each month, we already have a number in place at the top (where it says "Available to Budget"), and I just fill in the categories until it goes down to zero. It doesn't matter if it comes out of our checking or cc because even though we use our cc, we pay it off in full from our checking account - everything is tied together. The money is already there. </p> <p>Prior to having a buffer in place (before we were able to "live on last month's income and instead doing the paycheck to paycheck thing), I always just had a set number in mind (based on how much our paychecks were going to bring in) and would not budget past that number. To ensure that our income matched our expenses.</p> <p>Sorry, I'm trying to not make it sound confusing but I think it might be confusing to read! I don't know if I answered your question.... </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/if-you-budget-and-track-your-spending/page/2#post-1809810 Mon, 11 Aug 2014 13:37:17 +0000 regberadaisy 1809810@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Mrs. High Heels: how do you budget for paying off what you put on your cc? Say if you charge daily expenses like groceries. Does that budget come from your cc? Then you budget the follow month for paying off that balance? </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/if-you-budget-and-track-your-spending/page/2#post-1809805 Mon, 11 Aug 2014 13:35:02 +0000 Mrs. High Heels 1809805@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@locavore_mama: Haha, I'm always playing around with YNAB. I'm a little obsessed. :silly: </p> <p>I'm not sure I understand your question - what do u mean? </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/if-you-budget-and-track-your-spending/page/2#post-1809797 Mon, 11 Aug 2014 13:30:50 +0000 regberadaisy 1809797@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Mrs. High Heels: *bow* you are such a YNAB guru. I did not know that!! I was separating my one receipt into 2 transactions! haha</p> <p>How does using your cc work with balancing your checking account? </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/if-you-budget-and-track-your-spending/page/2#post-1809792 Mon, 11 Aug 2014 13:29:47 +0000 Mrs. High Heels 1809792@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@mediagirl: Coming back to comment on this piece: "two checkouts would work, as well. Unfortunately it comes down to our credit card statement just saying "Walmart" or "Sam's Club." If we go to another grocery store, I KNOW we bought just groceries. I think noting things after the purchase will help with knowing where our $$ is going."</p> <p>What we do is, we charge EVERYTHING onto our credit cards. Anything we pay in cash, we don't track... but we rarely pay cash. We don't save receipts because I login to my credit card accounts and checking account every day so I can keep my budget up to date. The only time I do save receipts is when we go to places like Costco or Target, where we're buying from multiple categories. I use a pen, mark up those receipts, and parse out all the different categories, so that I can put them in the appropriate categories in YNAB. It's not like we're constantly shopping at Costco or Target, so it doesn't feel that tedious to me. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/if-you-budget-and-track-your-spending/page/2#post-1809743 Mon, 11 Aug 2014 13:15:30 +0000 Mrs. High Heels 1809743@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@mediagirl: I responded without looking at other comments, but looks like you're already giving YNAB a shot. Yay!!! I am a huge huge fan... and want to reiterate that even though it often goes on sale, it is worth every penny of the $60! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/if-you-budget-and-track-your-spending/page/2#post-1809742 Mon, 11 Aug 2014 13:15:28 +0000 sunny 1809742@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@mediagirl: FYI you can do exactly the same thing with Mint, though its displayed as separate transactions (as if you did 2 checkouts). There's a little symbol next to the transaction to indicate it was a split transaction. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/if-you-budget-and-track-your-spending#post-1809734 Mon, 11 Aug 2014 13:11:48 +0000 mediagirl 1809734@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Mrs. High Heels: awesome. Thank you!! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/if-you-budget-and-track-your-spending#post-1809705 Mon, 11 Aug 2014 13:03:42 +0000 Mrs. High Heels 1809705@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@mediagirl: We use YNAB. YNAB has a feature where you can split categories. So when we go to Costco or Target, we split out the categories... sometimes we split it 5 ways (kids stuff, household, personal, food, etc.)</p> <p>Here's an example of what that looks like:</p> <p>[attach=85/14/na5m67.600x65.Screen-Shot-2014-08-11-at-11.02.49-AM.png] </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/if-you-budget-and-track-your-spending#post-1809681 Mon, 11 Aug 2014 12:57:02 +0000 looch 1809681@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@mediagirl: Yeah, I hate to say it, but I keep a notebook where I write stuff down. My memory doesn't work so well on these things any longer, so rather than guess what I spent at Walmart, I make a few notes. And I save all reciepts. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/if-you-budget-and-track-your-spending#post-1809677 Mon, 11 Aug 2014 12:55:34 +0000 mediagirl 1809677@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@looch: two checkouts would work, as well. Unfortunately it comes down to our credit card statement just saying "Walmart" or "Sam's Club." If we go to another grocery store, I KNOW we bought just groceries. I think noting things after the purchase will help with knowing where our $$ is going. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/if-you-budget-and-track-your-spending#post-1809668 Mon, 11 Aug 2014 12:52:38 +0000 looch 1809668@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@mediagirl: I read your original question, but I interpreted it as (and I apologize if it's incorrect, which it probably is)...is that you do your grocery shopping together with things like household products and would like a way to break them out, potentially systematically. So if you do a trip and it comes to say, $300, it might not actually be busting the grocery portion because you did a month's worth of laundry detergent, paper products, etc. Or maybe it was at Costco and you also bought a vacuum cleaner.</p> <p>That's why I suggested two check outs. That would solve the problem, more or less, and you wouldn't have to spend anything for budgeting tool, </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/if-you-budget-and-track-your-spending#post-1809660 Mon, 11 Aug 2014 12:49:33 +0000 mediagirl 1809660@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@looch: you may have missed my question. I asked:</p> <p>"How do you track groceries if you purchase groceries and household items in the same store? We're struggling with our grocery expenses and need to do something about them stat."</p> <p>We went off topic a little as I started asking some questions about a free trial of an online budgeting service a few people suggested. So far the suggestions I have seen that might work for me are to group groceries at the store and then note them on a spreadsheet or budget app when I get home so I can see where our money is going. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/if-you-budget-and-track-your-spending#post-1809625 Mon, 11 Aug 2014 12:39:31 +0000 looch 1809625@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I don't understand how a budget app is going to address the problem...what is the problem exactly? That you are overspending in your grocery and you don't know why...like you think it's because you did your monthly shop of paper goods and cleaning supplies and that's why it is higher than normal?</p> <p>What if you did two check outs? One for the paper/cleaning and the other for pure food? </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/if-you-budget-and-track-your-spending#post-1809610 Mon, 11 Aug 2014 12:34:37 +0000 sunny 1809610@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>We usually just attribute it to groceries and if there is a big amount in there, I might split it out into some of the other categories we track (e.g. diapers goes in kids, cleaning stuff goes in household), but it is rare I do that on a mixed bill. </p>