[tvanantwerp]

I don't track things too closely, and I'm thankful I don't have to. I automatically max out my 401k and IRA, and a good portion left after that goes into taxable brokerage accounts. The vast majority of investments are in no-load index funds; I set aside a bit as "play money" that I'm comfortable losing, and which I mostly invest in tech stocks.

My wife and I tend to spend about the same amount each month and there are rarely surprises. I check the statements before paying just to make sure no fraud went unnoticed, but I get emails for any charge over $50 so I usually catch things before that. My wife and I both allocate some of our own earnings for buying whatever we like without having to consult the other--I'm not paying for her clothes shopping, and she's not paying for my Steam library.

I think this works because we're both naturally frugal people. Saving isn't effortful for us, but rather is the default. Just this past weekend, I had to remind my wife that it probably wasn't worth the Herculean effort she was putting into repairing a piece of jewelry she got on AliExpress for $2. I am sure proper budgeting and other tools could help us eke out a bit more net worth, but only a bit. The marginal return of that activity would be low for us compared to those who tend more toward spending than saving.