Grocery Spreadsheet

[kitchwitch]

I was wondering if anyone who uses a spreadsheet for tracking/budgeting their purposes would be willing to share the general layout of their document?

I want to start tracking, and I can use excel but when it comes to the layout, I'm at a loss and I need some ideas.

Thanks in advance!

 

[miss_thenorth]

What do you want to track? Just how much you spend on groceries? All I used to do was write in a little book that I kept in my purse, all my gorcery pruchases. Now, my bank has software that tracks all purchases and allows you to set up a budget.

 

[HEChicken]

I use Quicken rather than a spreadsheet and have done for years. You can choose how much or little detail you track. For example, you could track all clothing purchases under one category: clothing. Or you could break it down into sub-categories like kids' clothing, shoes, etc. I do separate out sales tax from all purchases because at the end of the year I want to be able to see exactly how much I spent in sales tax (so I know which deduction to take on my state taxes). I put every cent I spend into Quicken, even if it is just 50c at a vending machine for a soda. That way I can see exactly where my money is going. It proved invaluable a couple of weeks ago when my purse was stolen. I had all my card numbers recorded, along with the phone number to report them stolen, so it made it that much easier when calling to cancel them all, to be able to tell them the card numbers.

It takes a little while to get set up initially but after that keeping track is a snap. I have all my accounts set up to download new transactions from the financial institutions so every morning I ask it to update and it basically does it all for me. The only thing I have to enter manually is my cash transactions. After download, Quicken will even suggest categories for everything based on your previous purchases with that merchant. For example, for a Kroger transaction, it will suggest "groceries". For Walmart, since I get my oil changed there, buy household items and buy groceries, it will list all three in a drop down so I can choose the correct one for the new transaction.

While there is an initial investment in the software, unlike setting up your own spreadsheet, the savings in time is a consideration. Plus, if you itemize, you can itemize the cost of Quicken, (if you have any investment accounts, 401K etc) that you track via the software, as an investment expense.

 

[kitchwitch]

Thanks so much HEChicken. I'm going to bring it up with DH and hopefully I will soon be as organized as you are

 

[AnnaRaven]

I use Mint.com, and that works well.

 

[keljonma]

Personally, I use a spreadsheet (Excel).

You could look at this old post and see if it gives you some ideas or help....


http://www.sufficientself.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=1397

 

[Veggie PAK]

I was wondering if anyone who uses a spreadsheet for tracking/budgeting their purposes would be willing to share the general layout of their document?

I want to start tracking, and I can use excel but when it comes to the layout, I'm at a loss and I need some ideas.

Thanks in advance!

Did you ever get your answer about Excel? If you email me I will send you or anyone else a blank copy of my Excel expenditure tracking document. It's like a compilation of all the layouts I've studied/checked out. All you need to make it work is to keep every receipt you get. It really isn't hard to do.

 

[Boogity]

Veggie PAK - I just spent the past 60 minutes viewing your blog and thoroughly enjoyed it. I especially liked the dissertation on HFCS (High Fructose Corn Syrup). Very informative. Thanks.

Oh yeah, what are you going to do with all those beans? It looks like your garden will provide enough beans to support the entire military forces of the USA

 

[Veggie PAK]

What we don't eat as we go along I'll can so we can enjoy them all year. If I have too much to can readily, I'll take the excess to the local soup kitchens for the hungry folks. A lot of those people would love to have a garden, but their current situations prohibit that from happening. We have to give some thought to the less fortunate, and with this economy, their number is increasing. I try to remember the old saying: "There but for the grace of God, go I."


Edit: Is there a way I can post an Excel Spreadsheet here for people to check out?

 

[Leta]

I have used a few different methods, and the one that stuck is the one that allows me to track and record spending.

I save receipts. I make DH save receipts. ALL receipts. Gas, groceries, durable goods, clothes, non-food consumables, services, you name it and I get and save a receipt for it.

Once a month, I go through all my receipts and enter them into a Google Docs spreadsheet. I used to keep a separate one for food prices, but I don't really bother anymore, since I know my price points.

(Examples:

Juice. No bottles, no cocktails. 100% juice concentrate in 12 ounce cans I will pay $1.

Peanut Butter. No HFCS, no HO. 16 ounce jar or bigger, I will pay $1.

You get the idea.)

I have the following categories for the spreadsheet:


Non-Food Consumables
Durable Goods (this includes things like clothes, shoes, and electronics, as well as gifts)
Gas
Food
Services (this one is rare, but we do get cars worked on and stuff hauled away from time to time)

Debt payments, utilities, and insurance are established amounts, so I don't bother recording them.

That's it. The data entry takes me 1-2 hours per month.