How to categorise & analyze a cash & credit card expenditure diary?

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Bluebean

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hi,
I've been keeping a cash & credit card diary for months now. Problem is (and yes, this is shameful :( ) I dont actually categorize... I just write down everything I buy
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While I think it helps somewhat in curbing my spending a little, the thing is now that I want to take it to the next step - i.e. knowing how much I spend on the various categories/necessary items/luxury/discretionary spending etc.

For example, I know how much I spent during the month of December, but haven't actually gone back & split it out in to how much was Christmas, how much was going out etc.

I also have a feeling that if I do categorize, there will be a huge amount of stuff going in to the 'misc' box - like if you go to the supermarket, buy groceries but put in a bottle of wine or a pressie for someone... at the moment, I'm just putting down 'groceries inc wine - 40 euro in total' type of thing.

Please advise oh wise ones on how I can actually extract info from this - and if not retrospectively, what I can do in the future?

Thanks!
 
"I've been keeping a cash & credit card diary for months now. Problem is (and yes, this is shameful ) I dont actually categorize... I just write down everything I buy."

In future you should categorize everything
 
Either keep a spreadsheet in future or use old fashioned accounting foolscap with columns which you can total each week/month. If you want to go back on the diary you have use different colour highlighter for groceries, petrol etc. You could then tot them if you want. I have kept spending diary for 25+ yrs, initially I categorised it but now just use ordinary diary with page per day, it definitely makes you think before you spend and very convenient for checking when you bought items or paid for services.
 
I use plain ole excel for my diary.

I document everything that I buy and instead of writing each individual item I categorize them - example if I buy milk and bread - then that is put down as food and the cost associated.

If I buy wine with a few goodies, then it all goes down as wine.

My main categories are
Food
Petrol
Wine
Clothes
Nights Out
and then my bills

I do an if(statement) in excel that looks for anything with the above names and totals then up

It works very well for me !
 
ok, I've gone back over a few months.......tedious job for sure but my own fault for not doing it right in the first place.

I have categories for bills, groceries, nights out, eating out, clothes, petrol, car expenses, medical, hair & beauty, presents - then I have a miscellaneous box for items such as lotto, magazines, newspapers, donations to charity etc.

I may eventually get around to narrowing down the misc items at some stage but for now, its a start anyway :)
 
You might look at what you spend on magazines and newspapers. Most if not all the info is on line - papers are. I know some people (me included) who stopped buying them during the week and just get Sunday ones where they get the news of the week and there is usually a few days reading in them.
Instead of Lotto why not prize bonds. You are in draws every week and you get your money back if you don't win.
 
Thanks for the reply niceoneted. I only ever buy weekend newspapers, but the odd magazine does slip in (I tell myself its for the receipes ;) )
I have prize bonds, but still do the lotto also, not every week and never for more than a fiver. If you're not in, you can't win right?! :p

I've started bringing my lunch to work - early days but I hope I can get organised enough to keep it up.

In general, I'm not actually bad with money - but just want to get in to a postion where I know within a few quid what I spend on the various categories each month. I thought I had a reasonable grasp on it, but on going back over each month it looks like I was out by up to 50 euro a month on some categories.

I want to start saving to change my car in a few years, so just planning ahead really & seeing where I could cut back if needs be.

Thanks for all the replies :)
 
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