I Heart Quicken

Everyday when I get home I spend about 30 minutes updating my accounts, staring at the computer screen going over the numbers time and time again. Obsessive? Yes, of course. My obsessive compulsive tendencies got myself into this mess and now it's going to get me out of it.

I use Quicken to manage my accounts and I absolutely adore it. It lets me make cool graphs, track every penny that I spend, schedule all of my payments on a calendar and view all of my accounts in one place. I try to use my check card for absolutely every purchase that I make for two reasons:

1) I can track and categorize exactly where my money is going
2) I earn points for every dollar I spend through the Wells Fargo Rewards program
(more info www.wellsfargorewards.com)

The graphs and pie charts are really motivational for me. Being able to visualize the fact that I spent 15% of my income on clothing is a shocker (especially since I still feel like I have nothing to wear). This is the first month that I have spent absolutely nothing on new clothes so I have that much more money to put towards my debt. To celebrate I am going to pay another $150 towards my debt so that I am not tempted to blow it somewhere else.

Here's a little visualization of my current and past situation. It's a bit overwhelming to look at the huge spike from when I added my car loan to my credit card debt but it's reassuring that it is gradually getting closer and closer to zero.



Current Debt: $19,625.22