I am SO thrilled to tell you that Angela over at The Coupon Project has released her 2011 Savings Tracker! I used this all last year and it is an invaluable resource (see it in use in my “Our Monthly Grocery Budget” series here). It is such a simple tool to help keep track of your monthly budget, but it is amazing to see your progress. Click here for more information and to download your own spreadsheet.
Here’s a quick breakdown of what you will enter into the spreadsheet:
- SHELF COST: I enter in the amount I would have paid at the store that day, without coupon or rebate. I don’t factor in the full price as I would usually never pay full price for ANYTHING!
- COUPONS: Manufacturer coupons and catalina coupons
- DISCOUNTS: I include store coupons here, to keep them separate from manufacturer coupons.
- REBATES: This is for any type of rebate I am submitting, mail-in or through Rite Aid’s Single Check Rebates program.
Everything else is calculated for you! You may interpret each of the above entries a little different than I do, but the key is to keep it consistent. If you don’t do the same thing every time you make an entry, your results won’t be accurate.
I will reference this each month in my “Our Monthly Grocery Budget” series, including a shared copy of my own spreadsheet each month so you can see a real-life example.
If you don’t track your spending, I highly recommend that you use this tool (or anything else that works for you). As soon as I started this in January 2010, I was able to breathe a sigh of relief. All the work is being done for me, I barely have to think about it. 
{ 2 comments… read them below or add one }
There is a good possibility I may get addicted to this spreadsheet! =0)
Ha! I have been addicted since the day I started using it!