Yes, the kind they give you at the checkout that you crumple into your purse and forget about until you have your semi-annual purse-cleaning and find that chapstick you thought was lost forever.
This year we are getting back to more intentional personal financial planning. Nothing fancy–just tracking our income and outgo more closely. We’re trying make the process as easy and pain-free as possible so we’ll actually stick with it.
Our primary inspiration this time is Simple Mom who recommends PearBudget as a very streamlined but effective online tool. Basically, you decide how you want to spend your money at the beginning of the month. During the month you enter your receipts, and at the end you have a record of your monthly spending.
So today we were out shopping, and I scooped up a couple of shu-weet deals. When we got home, my nerdy inner-bean-counter got busy entering receipts.
It was when I looked more closely at the Goodwill receipt I noticed a charge for $24.93. I couldn’t think what that was, so I started digging in the bag only to find that the cashier had incorrectly rung up those two (new!) tool kits which should have been 2 @ $4.93, not $24.93.
I’d never have taken another look if it hadn’t been for entering it into PearBudget.
First thing Monday morning I’m heading back to pick up my $15.07. How many other simple mistakes have been slipping right under our noses?
