Lesson 3 of 4 · 6 min read
How to track your spending without going mad
You don't need a complicated spreadsheet. You need real data, for two to four weeks, so you see your real pattern, not the imagined one.
The most common mistake with a first budget: people write a plan based on how they THINK they spend, not on how they actually spend. The difference is often surprising. For example, spending on food delivery or office coffee is frequently underestimated by 30 to 50%.
Three simple ways to track
- Your bank's app: most banks in Romania categorise spending automatically from the statement. It is the quickest starting point, with zero extra effort.
- A simple note on your phone: you write down every cash or card expense for 2 weeks, without judging yourself yet.
- A simple table (even on paper) with 5 or 6 big categories: you don't need 40 subcategories to understand the general pattern.
Don't judge while tracking
The aim of the first 2 weeks is only to observe, not to correct. If you start censoring yourself straight away, the data no longer reflects your real behaviour, and a budget built on it will be unrealistic.
What to do with the data
After 2 to 4 weeks, group the spending into big categories and compare it with your monthly income. This is usually where the surprises show up: a “small” category (coffee, delivery, apps) that, added up, is bigger than you thought. These observations are the raw material for the actual budget from the previous lesson.
In short
- Track for 2 to 4 weeks before imposing strict rules.
- Your bank's app is the quickest place to start.
- Don't censor yourself while tracking: you want real data, not wished-for data.