-5.00 cash Dunkin
……………………..183.76 food n/b

or maybe like this (the one I haven’t tried

188.76 food bal. ….. 183.76 n/b
-5.00 cash Dunkin

I thought I’d mention that I’ve been doing something a little different with my spending ledger in my “pocketbook”, which is what made me think of this article. . I keep one sheet of my pocketbook it to record my current available budget for different categories at the beginning of the month. Then when i spend cash I also record how much is left in the budget on the next line like this:

-5.00 cash Dunkin Donuts
183.76 food n/b.

I usually do the remaining balance entry after I leave the store. But doing it right there keeps the actual spending plan clear in my mind, which is good.
I’ve toyed with the idea of doing it like this, with the available amount entered first:

188.76 food bal. -5.00 cash Dunkin Donuts
183.76 n.b.

but I haven’t actually tried that yet on a regular basis .and it might not be practical/realistic. The advantage of that is it encourages you to know your rremaining budgeted amount first before you spend the cash but again, I haven’t actually tried that out yet.

Hope all is well with the Jabs’s!

Using Google docs is sometimes helpful for big reminders, but you don’t have it when you’re out and about, which is when you most often need to remember what the next thing is on your list or when you have a great idea you’d like to write down.

I have bought a few moleskin’s in my day and really enjoy them, but they’re too expensive and don’t do anything a spiral $0.99 spiral notebook can’t do.

My advice? Go with a cheap notebook before spending money on a planner. If you can effective use that, then upgrade.

For the spending tons of money on one part, sometimes I do spend a bit of extra money on something to ensure I use it. I was thinking of getting a really nice planner-type of thing as a graduation present to myself. My phone is great and all, but making extra notes on paper just can’t be beat for me…. And I only imagine my life getting more complicated after entering the professional world. (Meetings, appointments, etc.)

Separating the finances, goals, personal stuff etc. is one of the coolest parts of The Pocketbook. Since I create it… I can organize it the way that works best for me. Currently I maintain different sections on my daily sheets and reserve one page each week and one page each month for the goal break down. If and when I find a weakness in the structure… I simply change it.