[notJim]

I have my budget in a spreadsheet. Top line is income, then the rest are expenses. The spreadsheet is really just for projecting what fixed costs and savings I can afford, I don't follow it strictly.

The key thing is the way all my accounts are set up. All money flows into the checking account, and then automatic deductions take the savings into different accounts for short term and long term. Money does not sit in the checking account for long (except for a small-ish cushion.) All spending is done on credit cards, which I pay off in full with automatic payments from the checking account. This way, I know when I'm over-spending, because I have to transfer money back into the checking account. This is key, because it means as long it's planned (for a vacation, for example), it's fine. But if it's unplanned, I know I need to be more careful.