[neilv]

Import-only is the lazy way. :) If you want, GnuCash also has features to support manually entering each transaction as it occurs.

Then GnuCash has features to match up financial institutions data exports against your transaction splits, see the discrepancies, and then reconcile against their PDF statements.

It's a way of life, but you always know what money you have, where. Although that sounds like something for wealthy people, I'd say it's actually more important the less money you have.

[abdullahkhalids]

When I was a poor student, I carried around a small notepad in my pocket and a pencil and wrote down every transaction. Only way I ensured discipline to not waste money and then go hungry later.

But now I am ruined by smartphones, which are way too slow to type in every transaction manually.