You do not need a perfect record to begin. You need a reliable view of money coming in, money going out and the accounts involved. A small routine is often easier to maintain than a complicated set of categories.
1. Choose a period and your accounts
Start with the current month and choose the accounts you will review, including cash if you use it. Note the opening balance of each account and gather its transactions. Leaving out an account you use regularly will make the summary incomplete.
Statements help you check amounts and dates. You do not need to send them to an AI: you can enter transactions and compare the result with your bank.
2. Keep categories simple
Housing, groceries, transport, leisure and other spending may be enough to start. Choose a consistent way to classify purchases that span more than one category.
Finantzak lets you organise accounts, record income and expenses and use categories. Add more detail when it helps answer a specific question, such as how much you spend eating out.
3. Separate spending from moving money
Moving €100 between two accounts you own is not €100 of new spending. It is not new income across those accounts either. Record it as a transfer to avoid inflating totals.
If you record card purchases and the later bank settlement, check that you are not counting both as new expenses. Handle refunds consistently and compare closing balances before completing your review.
4. Review before changing everything
Set aside a few minutes each week to complete missing transactions, check categories and compare balances. At month end, look at what changed and why: a one-off bill does not necessarily mean your habits have changed.
Choose one action for next month, such as reviewing an unused subscription. Continue with the household budget guide when you want to plan amounts by category.
Moving money does not change total spending
- Groceries
- €60 expense
- Transfer between your accounts
- €100 transferred
- Total spending in this example
- €60
Adding the transfer to groceries would show €160 of spending. Keeping the two separate gives you a useful summary.
Start today
- Choose the accounts you will track.
- Record a few transactions and check their categories.
- Compare balances and schedule your next review.
Prepared with AI assistance and reviewed for this publication. Fictional examples, without user data.