Tracking spending

[Mybeautifullife1]

I am in a lot of debt. I'm really bad with money and need to get a grip.

If you've been in a lot of debt and got out of it, how did you track your spending? Do I need an app?

TIA

Pen & paper to write every thing down does it for me. I'm not in debt.
Write all your outgoings and incoming £££s down and see what's left then budget to spend on debt repayment and essential bills only.
Hope over to the debt thread in money matters. Lots of help there.

I've been tracking using a spreadsheet in excel for 2.5 years, last April I changed over to Ynab, there's a monthly charge of $5 but I think it's Worth it!

I used pen and paper.

I used to use a note on my dumb phone - literally a kind of text. I had a note at the start of the month with all the upcoming costs entered and what i had left, then updated it each time I spent something or a bill went through. It worked brilliantly. Before that I had a spreadsheet, but that worked because I was always at my desk, I haven't had a job like that for a while.

I came back from mat leave in mid 2014 owing €12k, of that debt I now owe €1.5k. I started with excel sheets but I think using ynab has made the difference. I did take out a car loan this sept which raises my debt again but I've gotten out of the credit card cycle & overdraft scenario & my attitude to money has changed.
Join us on frugaleers thread too as this thread has been responsible also in me changing my attitude to money. Facing up to it is an important first step, then working out a budget & repayment plan.
Reading lots of blogs on people who have become debt free helped me too

Thanks for your replies. I've signed up for unable but I don't wet how its any different to a bit of paper. Will have to spend some time in site.

I definitely need an attitude adjustment. I came across CD from Paul McKenna on overcoming emotional spending.. Going to give it a listen.

Alvin Hall books are really good too. I love his attitude to money.

We've not really been in debt but have read a lot of Alvin Hall's advice. I think it's helped us stay on track, even when things have been dire.

I still remember Alvin Hall on one of his documentaries talking to a woman who liked reading magazines... and in a couple of exchanges he said 'ah so you read magazines to get ideas on what to consume next...' that right there was enough to justify the licence fee for about ten years for me! I know it sounds daft but I'd never thought about it in exactly that way - despite working in the magazine industry for ten months and fleeing in disgust I'd still never put quite those words together before.

That's so interesting anna, I've never thought of it that way either but when we've been skint I've purposefully stayed away from magazines and shops (not food shops obviously, a girl's got ta eat ). So perhaps I has made the connection somewhere and not realised, but you are right he's very good at expressing these things.

Years ago magazines would showcase affordable items but now they show shoes at £700, like its normal & everybody else is spending that.

£700 for s pair of shoes? I have to have a lie down if I pay over £25!

Need to google Alvin Hall sounds interesting