The habit started when I took a spring break trip to the Philippines in 2010. Because my parents were funding the vacation, I wanted to be responsible and keep track of every dollar I spent. When traveling abroad, it’s common to perpetually leak money from shopping and eating, or be pick-pocketed if you’re unlucky.
Not only did tracking my expenses help me stay within a reasonable budget, it was also useful for when I wanted to look back on the names of things I ate and other things I probably wouldn’t be able to recall the following week.
Like Simon, I’ve tried writing everything on paper, but it’s impossible to remember exact amounts by the end of the day, and it quickly becomes a neglected chore. Instead, I listed everything on a memo on my phone, which was especially effective when I worked for six months in Hong Kong because I was on a tight budget and paid for everything in cash.
