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I've tried Mint, but don't love it and all the ads.

I have all these csv spreadsheets of transactions from banks and credit cards. I can look at each one or create tabs and look at each tab and sort, etc.etc.

What I want is a way to combine all that data and see what I am spending the most on and look for areas or categories I can save money.

Is there such a way?

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  • Product recommendations are usually closed down, but I personally use Tiller Money for cash flow tracking, which is spreadsheet-based rather than app-based. There are a ton of other options out there - do a web search, try a few out, and go with something you like.
    – Stan H
    Jun 7 at 18:14
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    There are MANY personal budgeting tools and financial trackers, both online and running on your own machine. Your bank or retirement savings house may offer one that can monitor transactions at that bank, and possibly (with your permission) at other banks. Or you can purchase a personal-finance product. Advice on which one to purchase would be (a) opinion and (b) a "shopping question" and thus is outside SE's intended scope; read reviews and look for free-trial copies.
    – keshlam
    Jun 7 at 18:16

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You're further along than I was 10 years ago... :)

This is what I did for two months:

  1. Track ALL of your spending. Use debit or credit card for everything, even the smallest items. No cash allowed!!
  2. At Walmart, Amazon, etc, don't buy food and clothes, etc on the same purchase. Split the purchases by categories, even if you buy it all at the same time.

Then, after two months, download all those DC and CC transactions, and merge them into one big spreadsheet. You'll have to remove payroll and CC payments.

What's left should be all of your expenses for those two months.

Now comes the hard part: go through the all one by one and add a category:

  • GROCERIES
  • UTILITIES (Electricity, Natural gas)
  • UTILITIES (Phones)
  • RESTAURANTS
  • OTHER ENTERTAINMENT
  • INSURANCE
  • FUEL
  • NETFLIX, GAMER SUBSCRIPTIONS, ETC.
  • RENT
  • CAR PAYMENTS
  • Etc, etc
  • Add in non-monthly expenses

Then sort by category, sum up each category and divide them by two...

Then you'll know exactly how much you spent in those two months, and where it went.

(Yes, this is tedious and labor intensive. Some things just can't yet be automated at the detail you need them.)

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