Household budget book

A Haushaltsbuch (household budget book) is the systematic recording of all income and expenses – on paper or digitally.

Why keep a household budget book?

• You see EXACTLY where your money goes
• Hidden "money eaters" become visible (subscriptions, impulse purchases)
• On average, your savings rate rises by 15–20% just by writing things down
• The basis for a realistic budget

3 methods:

1. Analogue (notebook/Excel):

• Enter expenses every evening
• Categories: housing, groceries, leisure, transport, clothing, other
• At the end of the month: compare totals

2. Banking app:

• Many banks categorise expenses automatically
• ING, DKB, N26 show analyses by category

3. Specialist apps:

• Finanzguru: automatic contract detection and saving tips
• MoneyMoney: multi-bank overview (Mac)
• YNAB: zero-based budgeting (every euro gets a job)

Minimalist version:

• Track only the 3 largest categories (housing, groceries, leisure)
• Takes 2 minutes a day
• After just 1 month: clarity about 80% of your spending