The first step to managing your finances is to figure out where your money goes. To help with this, we have created a monthly statement to help you keep track of your expenses.Most problems can be sorted out just by looking at where your money has gone in recent months. We have compiled a list of a few ways to organize your personal expenses and income.

Software: Download the Excel or PDF file to start keeping track of your expenses. You could also use other programs like quicken or mint. Both are made by Intuit, but since Microsoft quit developing Microsoft Money, it has become the industry standard. Quicken is $50 for the most recent download, while mint.com is a free web-based software. The best part of using software, is most banking institutions allow you do download your transaction data from your debit or credit accounts, and it helps you summarize your expenses. Works Great If: You mostly pay electronically. Not for: People who get paid in cash or buy mostly with cash

Paper: Paper records will still get the job done. Instead of going through your receipts each month, try keeping a notebook on you or in your vehicle. When you buy something with cash, write it down. Use your bank statements or credit card statements to figure out the rest. Download and print our cash expense formWorks Great If: you get paid in cash, spend cash, make tips at work, don’t use computers, prefer the tangible paper. Not For: people that lose stuff, have little time to write stuff down and do math.

Self Employed: Contractors, business owners or those that pay themselves through a company can still use simple finance apps, but it is important to keep personal and business related expenses separate. We frequently see self employed contractors that are unable to calculate their monthly income or expenses because they use a single account for both. We recommend that you use separate bank accounts credit cards that are used exclusively for business or personal use.