How to Track Expenses through GMail Quick Links and Google Docs
Lifehacker reader, Nick Espinoza, came up with a clever way to track expenses through GMail and Google Docs using GMail ‘Quick Links’ (a GMail Labs feature). His method is a great way to track non-electronic transactions (cash and check). Here are the instructions:
How to use GMail to track spending
Please note that I would not recommend this method for credit and debit transactions if you are able to access your transactions and download through your credit or debit card websites. If you have a data enabled cell plan, this is a great way to quickly record your transactions as soon as you make them.
Personal Budget Planner Spreadsheet
I have been a big fan of using Google Docs to track budgeting if you are a fan of manual budget tracking functionality. Here is a personal budget planner spreadsheet that I previously created (and still use):
20somethingfinance.com personal budget planner (Google Docs)
If you want to learn how to use this budget spreadsheet, you can view the personal budget spreadsheet post.
Email Budgeting Discussion:
- What methods are you using to track cash and track transactions? Credit and debit?
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Nice tip. I currently just use Mint, but it’s nice to be able to have a method of tracking non credit card stuff. In this day and age, it’s important to know exactly what you’re spending in every area.
Nice. I use Mint as well, though I use Google Docs as a backup for, well, almost everything.
Google Docs saves my life. I use it for almost everything, including my budget. These are nice tips. It is amazing the things you can do with Google. I knew about creating forms but had no idea I could integrate them with Gmail.
I’m using Mint too – love the iPhone app. I cna’t access Google docs at work (firewall), or I’d try this.
I use the iphone too.
Can’t get enough of it.
It’s support everything.
Brooke
Guys, there is Certify.com too, an online expense management system. We have free mobile apps too for iPhone and Blackberry. Try it out, there’s a 30-day free trial.
I use loot for android. Simple ledger/balance app. I can export a .csv to view expenses in a spreadsheet later. I like knowing exactly what I have in my checking at any point. This suits myself better than the gmail/doc form does.