If there’s one thing I like more than beer and sex (just being honest!), it’s clever budgeting. And just like there’s all sorts of ways to have a good time, there are all sorts of ways to manage your cash flow.

Personally, I use google docs to stay on top of my financial snapshot. I can budget from it, track my savings goals, my paycheck breakdowns, and most importantly my net worth (so I know overall how I’m doing that month). It’s a little too bright and all over the place for some people, but it’s perfect for me. You can download the budget template in excel if you wanna check it out.

Another way you can do it is via Word, shown below. It’s clean, simple, and to the point. And most of all, it WORKS for the reader who emailed it over to me. As you can see, he has listed out all his bills, deadlines, savings, and retirement contributions – along with a few goals and “leftover amounts”. Basically, his financial snapshot:

These are just 2 of the 10,934 ways you can do it. You’ve also got places online like Mint.com, YouNeedABudget.com, or even going old school and hitting up the envelope method! It doesn’t really matter what you use, so long as you USE it and get something out of it. If it keeps your finances in check so you can frolic around with the more exciting parts of your life, you’re doing things right.