Categorizing spending

[lolo]

MH and I are trying a new tracking system and I'm curious how others categorize transactions from vendors where purchases span categories. (For example, purchases at amazon or target.)

Do you identify at the item level? Broadly classify them as shopping? Something else?

[aMrsin09]

I break the transaction down.
So if I buy allergy meds and dog biscuits at the grocery store, I break it down to groceries, health and pets.

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[oswin]

Sept 16, 2014 4:23:59 GMT -5 aMrsin09 said:

I break the transaction down.
So if I buy allergy meds and dog biscuits at the grocery store, I break it down to groceries, health and pets.

Sent from my SM-G900I using proboards

This. I track using GnuCash (an offline double entry bookkeeping tool) and break things down precisely.

[pamela]

I break down the transaction on my spreadsheet. So maybe groceries, DH allowance, and misc. house off one Walmart run. Takes a bit more time, but helps keep the real picture of spending.

[jenn248]

Sept 16, 2014 4:23:59 GMT -5 aMrsin09 said:

I break the transaction down.
So if I buy allergy meds and dog biscuits at the grocery store, I break it down to groceries, health and pets.

Sent from my SM-G900I using proboards

I do the same for large purchases; e.g., when we spend a couple hundred dollars at BJs, I try to separate it out into groceries, home supplies, baby supplies, etc.  If I bought mostly groceries and one bag of dog food, I usually don't bother separating it and just count it all as groceries. 

[illgetthere]

I try not to mix transactions much because of this; my bank's tool doesn't allow you to break down transactions. I categorize at the level that had the bulk of the items. However, if it's even between two categories, I'll re categorize something to make it even.

Ex - purchase of dog food and diapers at sams club. I'll categorize under kids stuff, but then I'll categorize the karate check as household (we don't have a pet stuff line) to even it out

[RandZB]

I split transactions in YNAB.

[aMrsin09]

I break it down, not so much for budgeting, but so I have data to show H.

He doesn't always grasp just how much we actually spend on some things so he can/does over spend.

These dogs are expensive! As is his McDonalds habit.

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[aMrsin09]

We use Quicken.

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[Myrrhine]

If I buy clothes and groceries at Target, I will break that down, but I don't pull out every single little thing.

[jewel]

I break it down in my excel spreadsheet. For one Target or Costco trip, I might have entries in groceries, clothes, household, etc.

[gt7301b]

I'm not that exact. I might break out some of the line items if I go to Costco, cause I feel that groceries are different than clothing. But if I go to Target I rarely break things out cause most of my spending at Target is discretionary anyway.

[delawarejen]

I split transactions in YNAB as well. Since I shop for my grandmother using my Red Card I need to break out her stuff from mine anyway, but I don't break out her stuff by category. I do break out my own stuff by category.

[shaynaatl]

We break it down using Mint. For Target/Walmart purchases, we do break it down into groceries, toiletries, pharmacy, etc.

[lolo]

Cool, thanks. H is concerned it's a lot of work to split the categories. I do agree--and it can be hard to remember--but I think for the first few months, we really need to do it.