Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Jan 20, 2011 9:53:08 GMT -5
No seriously Tina, I have never heard them called that. I have always called it an ATM card.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Jan 20, 2011 9:53:40 GMT -5
and I think I am 10 years younger aren't I?
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kimber45
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Post by kimber45 on Jan 20, 2011 10:04:29 GMT -5
No written budget, but I do use Microsoft money to enter in all my checks and deposits and to balance my accounts. It makes things easier at tax time.
I have a calender so I know what bills are due periodically (quarterly, semi-annual, annual). The monthly bills I pay as they come in. I think I am a month of so ahead on my house payment.
DH and I get paid on alternate Fridays, so we have money coming in every week (except his checks are 3x the amount mine are).
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Cookies Galore
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Post by Cookies Galore on Jan 20, 2011 11:10:04 GMT -5
Bite me...you aren't that much younger than me MAC = money access card...what they called the cards in the late 80's/early 90's. I knew that! But it's not a money access card card. My Dad used to always say we were visiting Uncle MAC when he'd hit up the ATM. I do use my card to get cash. We go out with friends often, so I need cash to pay my share, and the lunch vendors around here are cash only. Plus, I hate charging anything less than $5.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Jan 20, 2011 11:22:19 GMT -5
Is MAC a PA thing?
cause I have seriously never heard of it called that.
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spartyparty
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Post by spartyparty on Jan 20, 2011 11:23:35 GMT -5
I don't have a budget so to speak, but I keep a spreadsheet with a running total that projects all income and expenses for the year. It's pretty simple but it works for me. Something like this:
1500 1/15 payday -150 Phone bill 1/16 1350 -400 Car Payment 1/18 950 -200 Groceries week of 1/19 750 1500 Payday 1/30 2250
and so on for the whole year.....I think it allows me to pay the maximum amount of debt each month by looking forward to see if I'm going to be short 1 month or 2 months or 3+ months from now (assuming everything else stays on or close to budget).
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The J
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Post by The J on Jan 20, 2011 11:25:03 GMT -5
Is MAC a PA thing? cause I have seriously never heard of it called that. Maybe it's a pre-debit card thing? <<ducks flying shoes>>
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Miss Tequila
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Post by Miss Tequila on Jan 20, 2011 11:35:03 GMT -5
and I think I am 10 years younger aren't I? bwahahahahaha
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MN-Investor
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Post by MN-Investor on Jan 20, 2011 11:37:23 GMT -5
I've never kept a budget. I figure it's like medical tests. You don't do them if it won't change the treatment. I just looked at our expenses for the past 5 years. I ended up with a miscellaneous of about $2K / month. That includes groceries, eating out, gasoline, Target, Wal-Mart, Amazon, etc. I suppose I could re-classify the receipts when I put them into Quicken, but why? It won't change what we spend and we can afford that, so who cares? And, like one of the posters commented, it would be a total pain to try to get the detail from my DH on what he charges. His Wal-Mart spending will include bananas, DVDs, and oil for the car.
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Bob Ross
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Post by Bob Ross on Jan 20, 2011 11:41:06 GMT -5
I've budget everything down to the dollar. I've got this excel spreadsheet that I've been updating for the last six years, and that forecasts ahead for the next three. It has become a behemoth which no one could possibly understand, save myself. I update it multiple times a day. Naturally, I am the life of all parties. TBH I'm quite addicted to it and would feel empty, naked, and lost without it. Does anyone know of any good programs that I could attend, like AA but minus the Jesus and for budgeting? Also, they'd have to serve booze.
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swamp
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Post by swamp on Jan 20, 2011 11:51:35 GMT -5
I've budget everything down to the dollar. I've got this excel spreadsheet that I've been updating for the last six years, and that forecasts ahead for the next three. It has become a behemoth which no one could possibly understand, save myself. I update it multiple times a day. Naturally, I am the life of all parties. TBH I'm quite addicted to it and would feel empty, naked, and lost without it. Does anyone know of any good programs that I could attend, like AA but minus the Jesus and for budgeting? Also, they'd have to serve booze. Welcome to EE, now hand over the spreadsheet.
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Bob Ross
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Post by Bob Ross on Jan 20, 2011 12:08:40 GMT -5
Welcome to EE, now hand over the spreadsheet. But...but...it's my friend. You wouldn't take away my only friend, now would you? << bares fangs and hisses >>
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swamp
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Post by swamp on Jan 20, 2011 12:10:02 GMT -5
Welcome to EE, now hand over the spreadsheet. But...but...it's my friend. You wouldn't take away my only friend, now would you? << bares fangs and hisses >> <<torches spreadsheet>>
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Chocolate Lover
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Post by Chocolate Lover on Jan 20, 2011 12:10:44 GMT -5
Here Bob, here's a beer, but you're gonna have to set the spreadsheet down, you wouldn't want to mess it up would you??
That's right, sit it right there, it'll be ok....
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Bob Ross
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Post by Bob Ross on Jan 20, 2011 12:19:06 GMT -5
Nice try. Luckily I have many copies saved at multiple undisclosed secret locations. Here Bob, here's a beer, but you're gonna have to set the spreadsheet down, you wouldn't want to mess it up would you?? That's right, sit it right there, it'll be ok.... Oh no. You're not getting off that easy. I've watched that Intervention show so I know how it works. First you guys gotta write up letters expressing how much you love me, and then send me off to one of those all expenses paid resort rehab clinics in some tropical location where I can overcome this horrible affliction via many months of snorkelling, tennis, and massage therapy. Just make sure it's a place with good rum drinks. I hear Jamaica's nice this time of year.
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Chocolate Lover
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Post by Chocolate Lover on Jan 20, 2011 12:22:51 GMT -5
I was simply asking you to sit it down Bob, I'm not doing anything to it. That's Swamp's job.
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salserabarby
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Post by salserabarby on Jan 20, 2011 13:20:17 GMT -5
ImaAngel: Your husband is military. Get USAA. Their website is awesome. It lets you categorize transactions so that all the work is done right online. Plus you can't beat their services.
I guess I'm one of the weird ones that keeps tracks of everything. I have three spreadsheets that I use simultaneous throughout the month. I balance my checkbook every day and I keep track of every single cent that I spend. This didn't just magically happen tho. It's taken me some time to become disciplined.
I've spent alot throughout my life so far and about a year ago I realized that "stuff" doesn't mean anything nor will it make you happy.
In regards to your husband, what you can do is give a cash allowance for the week. Dave Ramsey calls it blow money. He can do whatever he wants with it, that way you don't have to account for every single dollar. I think MAC is an East coast thing and a pre-debit card thing too.
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Sum Dum Gai
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Post by Sum Dum Gai on Jan 20, 2011 13:48:52 GMT -5
How about that trip you have planned does it fit into your discretionary budget, how much needs to be saved over how long and taking into account your other discretionary expenses? I can't imagine living without a framework to clarify those types of questions and with software it takes so little work. You include a short term savings "bill" in the necessary expenses. Let's say you're taking a trip in 6 months and you figure it'll cost about $3,000. You bill yourself $500 a month, or $250 a paycheck that has to go into savings. Treat it like any other bill. Once all the bills are paid, the left over is fun money. Nice and simple. The only time you need to track every single penny and categorize the crap out of the budget is when you're looking for places to cut. When you hit a point that the money coming in is easily meeting your long term savings goals, paying all the bills, and leaving you enough for short term goals and fun money, it really doesn't matter what you spend the short term and fun money on. Tracking it becomes somewhat pointless. I mean, I look online once in a while just to see it, but I don't really worry about what it shows. If I see that I'm spending "too much" eating out, I might do that less, but I'll just spend the savings on video games or something. I could limit our fun money and save more, sure. I could probably shave a year or two off of my retirement age or retire with more money. Here's the thing though, I don't want to wait until I'm old to have fun. I make decent money. I'm saving a lot more than most people my age for retirement already. I might as well enjoy some of the money I work for now too.
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Bob Ross
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Post by Bob Ross on Jan 20, 2011 13:54:31 GMT -5
I could limit our fun money and save more, sure. I could probably shave a year or two off of my retirement age or retire with more money. Here's the thing though, I don't want to wait until I'm old to have fun. I make decent money. I'm saving a lot more than most people my age for retirement already. I might as well enjoy some of the money I work for now too. YM blasphemy! Everyone knows that he who fossilizes with the most, wins!
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NomoreDramaQ1015
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Post by NomoreDramaQ1015 on Jan 20, 2011 13:58:24 GMT -5
I don't do spreadsheets. I've tried and I've tried but I am just not that dilligent about it and all I end up doing is getting frustrated.
What I do is I write down on the calendar when our paychecks come and then I write in all the bills.
We pay ourselves first for savings, then pay all the bills, then live on what is left. I check our online statements at least once a week to make sure everything is on track.
Spreadsheets overwhelm DH. The calendar system has worked a lot better to keep him on board because it is right there in his face on the living room wall. He forgets something it's a lot easier to point at hte calendar then try to drag him over to the computer to show him an elaborate spreadsheet.
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Sum Dum Gai
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Post by Sum Dum Gai on Jan 20, 2011 14:13:24 GMT -5
Everyone knows that he who fossilizes with the most, wins! Well, I still buy my one lottery ticket a week. There's like a one in a billion chance I'll die with like eight figures and whip the pants off of all the YM penny pinchers.
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Bob Ross
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Post by Bob Ross on Jan 20, 2011 14:39:51 GMT -5
Well, I still buy my one lottery ticket a week. There's like a one in a billion chance I'll die with like eight figures and whip the pants off of all the YM penny pinchers. I dunno. Everyone also knows that lottery winners spend all of their money on blow and hookers. YMers spend their money on...well, nothing, so you still would be at a slight disadvantage, even with the eight figures. I'd say you'd need nine.
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Sum Dum Gai
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Post by Sum Dum Gai on Jan 20, 2011 14:43:05 GMT -5
I don't know, eight figures buys an awful lot of blow and hookers while still remaining eight figures. I guess we'll find out if I ever win.
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Post by kinetickid on Jan 20, 2011 14:43:57 GMT -5
I am just curious if I am the only one. I don't have a spreadsheet with my monthly budget on. I pay my bills every 2 weeks when DH's check comes in. I have money automatically deducted from checking and sent to our different savings accounts and to my Roth. Husband is military so he has a good retirement already set up. We will open another retirement account for him when I get a full time job. With each check I just take a sheet of paper and my box of bills, I then write the amount of his pay and then just start to deduct the amount of the bills I am paying. When everything is paid for that pay period I then leave a certain amount in my checking and then send the majority of the money left over to savings or I will send in more on a SL or a cc or something. I don't have a budget where I say I am allowed a certain amount of money for clothing, entertainment, groceries, eating out, gas, car maintenance..etc. I have never had an actual written catagorized budget. So...am I the only lazy person here? Yes, we have a meticulous budget. Every possible category is accounted for. We keep track of everything with a fairly fancy Excel workbook we created together.
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Cookies Galore
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Post by Cookies Galore on Jan 20, 2011 14:56:46 GMT -5
Is MAC a PA thing? cause I have seriously never heard of it called that. Maybe it's a pre-debit card thing? <<ducks flying shoes>> So I guess you've never heard the phrase "tap MAC" before? Is it a PA thing??
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MN-Investor
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Post by MN-Investor on Jan 20, 2011 15:16:06 GMT -5
"So I guess you've never heard the phrase "tap MAC" before? Is it a PA thing??" It sure isn't a Minnesota thing! My guess is that then ATM cards first came out, the local banks created cute names for them in order to get their customers to use them. I know my sister in Milwaukee had a different name - I don't remember now what it was - which was common in Milwaukee but also didn't make it to Minnesota.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Jan 20, 2011 15:18:22 GMT -5
MAC is new to me too... but my dad still calls the ATM machine a pocket teller.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Jan 20, 2011 15:22:23 GMT -5
I used to work as a bank teller and a lady came in with her statement came in one day and asked me "Who's Adam, and why did he take money out of my account?" I was confused and asked to see the charges she was talking about... They were the ATM charges, noted in her statement as "ATM". I patiently explained it to her at least 3 times before I sent her to the customer service rep - who had much more patience and was obviously able to speak slowly and loudly enough for the woman to understand that some guy wasn't taking money out of her account. I kid you not. She was the talk of the bank for a few weeks!
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DebMD (banned)
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Post by DebMD (banned) on Jan 20, 2011 15:31:53 GMT -5
No written budget... I keep all my basic costs down, and I pay all my basic bills in advance for 1 year. [gas,electric,phone,mtg payments]
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Jan 20, 2011 18:59:59 GMT -5
ImaAngel: Your husband is military. Get USAA. Their website is awesome. It lets you categorize transactions so that all the work is done right online. Plus you can't beat their services. I guess I'm one of the weird ones that keeps tracks of everything. I have three spreadsheets that I use simultaneous throughout the month. I balance my checkbook every day and I keep track of every single cent that I spend. This didn't just magically happen tho. It's taken me some time to become disciplined. I've spent alot throughout my life so far and about a year ago I realized that "stuff" doesn't mean anything nor will it make you happy. In regards to your husband, what you can do is give a cash allowance for the week. Dave Ramsey calls it blow money. He can do whatever he wants with it, that way you don't have to account for every single dollar. I think MAC is an East coast thing and a pre-debit card thing too. Yes, we do have USAA. I will have to check out there budget feature. Ok...if I hand my husband money and tell him it is blow money...he is going to hand it back to me and say "ok now blow". Sorry...sorry...sorry...I will take my spanking now.
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