spending

What happens when you don’t track your spending on vacation

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I love traveling. I love seeing new places, or even old places with a new eye. And vacations, those limited periods of time when we uproot our normal routines, are most often when we experience travel. While vacations are salutary, … Read More … Read More

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Here are the times when I use a credit card

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Once of the very first posts on this site was called “How credit cards are like alcohol“. In it, I stated that I didn’t believe that there was anything inherently bad about credit cards, but only that some people can … Read More … Read More

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Record player stylus

How to put barriers in place for your spending

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Numerous services exist to make spending easier. Contactless cards allow you to pay without even taking the time to swipe or insert. Apple Pay, Google Pay, Amazon Pay, Facebook Pay, Netflix Pay (okay not all of these are real, but … Read More … Read More

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Shoes

Woman tracks spending, finds out she spends more than she thought. Film at 11.

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I know that things that are obvious to some aren’t obvious to others. The phrase “it’s easy once you know how to do it” is both banal, profound, and very relevant. That said, when someone writes an article about something … Read More … Read More

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Lynn Cove Viaduct

Why not just track all of your spending as a single category?

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I believe that everyone can optimize their spending habits, and without much in the way of sacrifice. I didn’t say “zero sacrifice”. We can’t all jet off to Hawaii whenever we want it. (Not without consequence, anyway.) But I also … Read More … Read More

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ATM withdrawal

Another way to track cash expenses

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People have very widely varying attitudes toward cash. While some people feel money more when they spend cash, other people don’t feel it at all. In fact, the way some people have explained it to me, if the transaction doesn’t … Read More … Read More

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Blue corner

What to do when you have extra category money at the end of the month

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At the most recent gathering of the Portland Integrative Finance Community (join for free here), we had a frank and engaging discussion about the challenges and the benefits of tracking your expenses each and every month, something I’ve done for … Read More … Read More

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Why not to use flexible point currencies for earning miles

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  I will continue to tell everyone to not put your every day spending on a credit card. Many of you will continue to not listen to me. So let’s assume that you’re convinced you need to use a credit … Read More … Read More

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The surprise I got from spending only cash for a month

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  For the past month, I have spent nothing but cash for all my expenses. (Bills were paid automatically.) You can read about why I did this in greater detail, but more than anything, I basically just wanted to see … Read More … Read More

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A month of living cash-only

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  I’ve talked about how to spend money. When you think about it, it’s a surprisingly complex decision, and one that takes place many times a day. I’ve hammered home the point about the dangers of putting everyday spending on … Read More … Read More

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