[sloaken]

I have tried several things, and have given up on a lot as they seemed more work than they were worth. Although it has been about 8 years since I looked into it, maybe I should again.

Spreadsheets 1) Current accounts - Charge Cards, Rent due, utilities, bank accounts. I update every 2 weeks when I get paid. This has worked out well as it forces me to look at our primary accounts and I catch things before they become problems. My significant other, knows this and has caused a change of spending habits, all for the good. In my balances, I have a baseline adjustment so every year the first paycheck all my current accounts balance to zero, this way as the year goes on I can see where I am. It also keeps me from considering as a total how much I have saved over several years and then feel like I can spend it.

2) Yearly - sometimes more often, I do a spreadsheet of investments and retirement money. I also add in large assets like the value of my cars, although they are not worth much. I also re-balance my investments then, or at least start to decide what to change.

[hugohamelcom]

That's really similar to what I do, but I believe that you might be tracking a bit more than I am, on a more granualar level, which is good. I might do some changed based on my process based on what you are doing.