Coin Jar guide
How to track your spending: a simple method that lasts
To track your spending, write down every purchase for a month, as it happens: the amount, what it was and a category. Keep categories few (groceries, eating out, transport, bills, fun). At the end of the month, add up each category and compare it with what you thought you spent. Most people find one or two surprises, often subscriptions and small daily buys, and that is where a budget does the most good.
Start with one honest month
You can't change what you can't see. Before setting any limits, spend a month simply recording. Don't try to spend less yet; just write it all down.
- Log every purchase when it happens. Ten seconds at the till beats an hour with bank statements at the end of the month.
- Include cash, cards and transfers. Cash disappears from memory fastest.
- Add your regular bills once, as repeating items, so they don't need logging every month.
- Log income too, so you can see what's left.
Pick a few categories
Too many categories make logging slow and the totals hard to read. Start with eight to ten and add subcategories only where you want detail.
| Category | Includes |
|---|---|
| Housing and bills | Rent or mortgage, council tax, energy, water, broadband, phone |
| Groceries | Supermarket shops, household essentials |
| Eating out | Restaurants, takeaways, coffees, lunches |
| Transport | Fuel, fares, parking, car costs |
| Subscriptions | Streaming, apps, gym, memberships |
| Shopping | Clothes, home, gadgets |
| Fun | Going out, hobbies, gifts |
| Savings and debt | Money to savings, extra loan or card payments |
Review the month
At the end of the month, sit down for fifteen minutes with the totals and ask:
- Which category surprised me?
- Which subscriptions haven't I used this month?
- How much went on small daily buys (coffees, snacks, delivery fees)?
- What did I spend that I'm glad about, and what do I regret?
Worked example
A month's log shows £182 on eating out, made up of 23 coffees and lunches at £4 to £12 each, when the guess was "about £60". Setting an eating out budget of £120, with a daily pace of £4, keeps the treats and saves about £60 a month.
Set budgets with a daily pace
A monthly budget only tells you you've overspent once it's too late. A daily pace fixes that: divide what's left in a budget by the days left in the month. If you've £90 left for groceries with 15 days to go, your pace is £6 a day.
Start with budgets for the two or three categories that surprised you, not everything. Then add savings goals for the things you're working towards, such as a holiday or an emergency fund, so saving has a target too.
If debts or bills feel unmanageable, free impartial help is available. In the UK, MoneyHelper, StepChange and Citizens Advice can help.
Tracking spending in Coin Jar
Coin Jar is a spending tracker in your browser, with no bank login. It opens with sample data so you can look around; choose Start fresh when you're ready.
- Tap + to add a transaction: expense, income or transfer, with a keypad, a category, the account, the date and a title. Set it to repeat every week, month or year for bills.
- Add a budget on the Budgets tab with + New budget: an amount, a period (monthly, weekly or custom) and the categories it covers. Each budget shows a daily pace, and leftover money can roll over.
- Set goals on the Goals tab for savings jars.
- Use More for accounts, subscriptions and recurring payments, categories, a monthly money Wrapped and a no-spend challenge.
Free includes tracking, accounts, subscriptions, loans, three budgets, two savings jars and CSV export. Coin Jar Pro, a one-time $3.99, adds unlimited budgets and jars, multiple currencies, CSV import and past months' Wrapped. Your data stays in your browser, with backup to a file.
Common mistakes
- Logging at the end of the month. You'll forget the small things, which are often the point.
- Too many categories. Eight to ten is enough to start.
- Setting strict budgets on day one. Track for a month first, then set realistic limits.
- Forgetting annual costs. Car insurance and memberships need a monthly share.
- Ignoring cash. It counts too.
- Quitting after one bad week. Missed logs happen. Pick it up again today.
Questions
What is the easiest way to track spending?
Log each purchase as you make it, in a handful of categories, for one month. Then look at the totals. A phone app makes it a ten-second job.
Should I connect my bank to a spending app?
It is optional. Typing purchases yourself takes a little effort but makes you notice each one, and means no one else sees your accounts. Coin Jar has no bank connection.
How do I find forgotten subscriptions?
Look through the last three months of bank and card statements for repeating payments, then add each one as a recurring item so you see them all in one list.
What is a daily spending pace?
What is left in a budget divided by the days left in the period. It shows whether you are on track mid-month, not just at the end.
What is a no-spend challenge?
A set number of days where you buy only essentials. Coin Jar tracks your no-spend streak, and you can invite a friend.
Is Coin Jar free?
Yes. Tracking, accounts, subscriptions, loans, three budgets, two savings jars and CSV export are free. Coin Jar Pro adds unlimited budgets and jars, multiple currencies and CSV import for a one-time $3.99.