Video: Keeping Track of Every Dime You Spend

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STARKVILLE, Miss. (WCBI) – People who are good with money, tend to always know how much they have.

Financial planners realize the importance of having a budget and sticking to it.

But the thousands of tran[bitsontherun 2Ojj3AGK]sactions, large and small, we make every year can be hard to get a handle on.

Help is available.

Cynthia Brown is a successful realtor, based in Starkville.

Detailed records come with the territory.

Cynthia says, ” I like to keep track of everything. I like to keep everything, organized and I thought I was organized until I got this.”

Last month, Cynthia started using NeatDesk.

The software and scanning machine cost just under $400.

Then there is a $15 dollar a month fee.

What does Cynthia get out of the deal?

She says, ” If you are someone who wants to keep track of your spending and budget, this is the best way to do it.”

When Cynthia buys something, she can snap a picture of the receipt with her smartphone or take it home and scan it.

Seconds later that transaction is placed in the appropriate on-line file.

Bills she pays electronically also show up on NeatDesk.

Cynthia can even scan invoices and business cards.

Staying this organized can be a real eye-opener.

Cynthia laments, ” It’s amazing how much you spend on little things. Stuff like going into Wal-Mart. Wal-Mart gets more of my money than anybody else. But you know, going into Wal-Mart, you just don’t realize how much you spend.”

Everything ends up in an easily understandable virtual folder, that Cynthia can access, at anytime, with her phone.

Cynthia says, ” I have it with me at all times, when I’m out for dinner, if I want to scan my receipt, I go ahead, take a picture with my phone, scan it, it syncs it right to my computer, download everything.”

Knowing where her money is going makes Cynthia a smarter consumer.

She wouldn’t have it any other way.

She concludes, ” I tell you, it’s a lot of work, but I love it.”

Cynthia was surprised by just how much it costs to keep her car properly maintained and full of gas.

Her 3 year old is also a significant expense, but he’s worth every penny.