One of the biggest problems that we face as a family is keeping track of our expenses. With the accessibility of on-line banking and the creation of the Check Card comes an almost lax attitude towards following the money. After all, when all you have to do is swipe a card it is easy to forget to check prices and logging into a website to check balances makes it almost unnecessary to keep receipts. Before you know it you are in overdraft and that $6.00 purchase can cost you $10.00 in fees.

Now that we can no longer depend on my steady income, I have decided to create a budget and stick to it- no questions asked. I used to use programs like Microsoft Money and Quicken, but they are not personal enough for our needs. One of my friends uses a simple notebook and pen to track bills for a year. But my ability to do math is funky and I need something to help me with calculations.

So what do you use to help keep track of your household finances? Please let me know.