Keeping track of manufactured spend
Dec 5, 2014, 7:26 pm
#181
Join Date: Mar 2012
Posts: 784
Sigh, Im willing to take the flames for a hint. Let's say I push paper for a living and know for an absolute fact that spreadsheets suck after I spent sunup to sundown for a couple of days straight inputting crap into a computer. However, when ya find $1k the first day, ya realize ya might, just might, have a teensy, weensy, problem.
I have the "left" side with date, purchase info and liquidation method/tracking, which lets me verify things have been liquidated but am having difficulty conceptualiizing the "right" side, returning the funds. I manually sign in and out matching things for verification now, but it seems like there should be a program with a formula or like everything else, there should be an app for that.
Okay, flame away, but Id hope someone eventually provides a hint
Troll
I have the "left" side with date, purchase info and liquidation method/tracking, which lets me verify things have been liquidated but am having difficulty conceptualiizing the "right" side, returning the funds. I manually sign in and out matching things for verification now, but it seems like there should be a program with a formula or like everything else, there should be an app for that.
Okay, flame away, but Id hope someone eventually provides a hint
Troll
Dec 16, 2014, 10:47 am
#182
Join Date: Sep 2005
Programs: Northwest, United
Posts: 3,257
My god, the lengths that people go to (and the time wasted…) is astonishing.
Do whatever you think you need to, but to me…life is way too short to bother tracking so many unimportant details. I only bother with things that do or could matter.
Get a new credit card? Add it to a simple excel sheet noting the critical details (bank & card type, account number, when opened, required minimum spend, bonus point offer, credit & cash advance limits, statement closing & payment due dates, etc.). Be sure I have online access set up for that account so I can check the spending. Start spending on that card. That usually just takes a few days or at most a few weeks. Note in the excel sheet when the spend has been completed, move on.
Ongoing spend? A post-it note on each card with any important details works just fine for me. Buy a new gift card? Keep the receipt with it, activate if needed/load/liquidate quickly - don't leave this sitting around for weeks. If it's ready to be used, it's either in my wallet, or in a single, obvious place on my desk where it can't be missed or misplaced, and gets used/loaded/liquidated in a few days at most. Once used, clip the corner off, toss it in the shoebox.
Reloadable cards/etc? A post-it note with details on the card.
A simple text file on the home computer to track any other details.
Check credit card and miles/points balances online regularly.
When a bill comes, pay it.
Rotate active credit cards from the shoebox through the wallet and back as needed.
All of these tasks are very easy and don't take much time or effort. That's plenty of "tending" for me. I have no interest in tracking every penny or other useless details. If I ever have some need to track the details on anything, it's simple enough to go online and look stuff up.
To each his own, do what you feel you need to, but I think some of you may be losing sight of the cost/benefit ratio here.
Do whatever you think you need to, but to me…life is way too short to bother tracking so many unimportant details. I only bother with things that do or could matter.
Get a new credit card? Add it to a simple excel sheet noting the critical details (bank & card type, account number, when opened, required minimum spend, bonus point offer, credit & cash advance limits, statement closing & payment due dates, etc.). Be sure I have online access set up for that account so I can check the spending. Start spending on that card. That usually just takes a few days or at most a few weeks. Note in the excel sheet when the spend has been completed, move on.
Ongoing spend? A post-it note on each card with any important details works just fine for me. Buy a new gift card? Keep the receipt with it, activate if needed/load/liquidate quickly - don't leave this sitting around for weeks. If it's ready to be used, it's either in my wallet, or in a single, obvious place on my desk where it can't be missed or misplaced, and gets used/loaded/liquidated in a few days at most. Once used, clip the corner off, toss it in the shoebox.
Reloadable cards/etc? A post-it note with details on the card.
A simple text file on the home computer to track any other details.
Check credit card and miles/points balances online regularly.
When a bill comes, pay it.
Rotate active credit cards from the shoebox through the wallet and back as needed.
All of these tasks are very easy and don't take much time or effort. That's plenty of "tending" for me. I have no interest in tracking every penny or other useless details. If I ever have some need to track the details on anything, it's simple enough to go online and look stuff up.
To each his own, do what you feel you need to, but I think some of you may be losing sight of the cost/benefit ratio here.