Budgeting: The Hybrid Method

The perfect combination of analog and digital tools.

I’ve written extensively about how I use the Bullet Journal to track my spending, as well as the different types of minimalist budgets that I’ve experimented with. Generally, I prefer analog tools over digital ones. Applications are made by other people who have different preferences when it comes to inputting, analyzing, and reading data, and there’s a slim chance that our preferences are aligned. With a pen, ruler, and notebook, you can design a system that works for you.

Recently, however, I came across comprehensive budgets that were made with Microsoft Excel — replete with colourful graphs and formulas that auto-populated cells that updated the aforementioned graphs. This led to a desire to learn more about Microsoft Excel’s capabilities and teaching myself how to properly use formulas, work across spreadsheets, and other basic tricks of the program.

My current financial operating system now incorporates both a digital and analog component. It is not necessarily more complicated but it is more sophisticated.

First, at the beginning of the month, I open Microsoft Excel. On the first sheet I plug in my budget goals for each spending category. For example, I hope to spend less than $100.00 on subscriptions and $150.00 on entertainment. When I enter these numbers…