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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I am G.E. Miller, & 
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
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.