A Glimmer of Hope
While banks, insurance companies, and automakers, are all failing, a company in the UK that provides debt advice and support is growing. Debt Free Direct bought consumer debt advice group Clear Start UK. While banks are failing, a debt management company is growing. I love that.
This is encouraging to me!! This provides me with a glimmer of hope that we are not all lost, that not everyone out there is giving up and settling with the MYTH that debt is a part of life.
We all know that debt has become a fact of every day life. Some people believe that debt is inevitable and there is no other way to do things. But on the flip side of this coin, there are some of us who know that there is another way and a better way to handle money and life. For me, CASH is the name of the game. Paying with cash and having a lot of money piled up in my money market account incase of emergencies is what helps me sleep at night. It could be different for you, but as long as you know that debt is not a way to do anything, you are good.
For some, this realization may not come as easy. For most debt has not only been a part of their lives, but their parents lives as well. Some families are absolutely torn apart by debt. It is at this point, at the point where DEBT starts to control their life, that people start to think. They think about everything they have but don’t own and they think of all of the arguments they have had with their spouses or significant others over money. The thought process may take some time, but eventually they will get to the point where they know what they need to do. They need to change and they need to learn how to manage the debt they have, get rid of it, and start over.
This is where a company like Debt Free Direct comes in, and thankfully they are going to be sticking around. They offer free advice to their clients and provide them with debt solutions to help them get out of debt. With people slowly coming to the realization that living with debt does not have to be them, I see companies like this doing nothing but growing. And this makes me happy!
If you have been buried with debt and can not imagine where to start, do some research and find a debt solution company that can truly help you. Be careful, some will be nothing but a scam, but not every debt solution company is. Do your research, call a lot of people, and make an informed decision.
Asking for help is not a bad thing.
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Weekend Review – First Week Edition
What a week. First full week of the new year is over. So, before the weekend does the same, here is what we had this week:
5 Easy Ways to Recover from Christmas
For me, December was a ridiculously hard month to keep up with. Money in and money out. I had a budget for my Christmas gift shopping, but as the saying goes sometimes, “Budgets are meant to break”. And I am ashamed to say that I broke my Christmas shopping budget.
No matter how large or small the amount, it all adds up to something that you did not have before. As the video below will explain, very quickly, you should be saving money each day, week, and month because it ALL ADDS UP!
What My Blackberry “Wipe” Has to do With Money and Life
There can be many other areas of your life where you could use a restart. This is a good thing, if you can see it coming. If it comes up unexpected, don’t let it freak you out too much. Just roll with whatever happens and be sure to come out of the restart, “wipe”, standing taller than before.
Keep an Eye on Your Bank Accounts – Video
Checking your accounts on a daily basis is a great way to avoid over drafts, identity theft, or getting lower than what your budget says.
WYAN Radio Podcast Ep #7 – Obama Will Not Pay Your Debt
Today’s show: Lindsay can read, Aaron got his gmail stickers, big progress on debt, and simple things you can do to have a better 2009 with your money.
Let’s Get to Know Aaron a Little Better
This was really out of the blue that Writrams tagged me in her meme to do a meme…so I thought it would be a good opportunity for me to share a little about myself in a more comical light. No money, no serious life issues, but hopefully some laughter for you.
That’ll do it. If you haven’t already done so, subscribe to our RSS feed and start listening to our podcast in iTunes or via RSS.
Have a great weekend!
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Weekend Review – What A Busy Week Edition
It just seems like things are so busy! This is good but it makes the time go so fast that it’s hard to keep up with what is going on where and when.
This review is going to be a little different, shorter actually and most of what you need to know is below:
- We launched a new theme! If you are a RSS subscriber, be sure to stop by. A tutorial on how to best use this new theme is in the making.
- Today we hosted our first live radio show! You can listen to the show archive from our side bar and grab the RSS feed for it. iTunes subscription should arrive early next week.
- We had our weekly podcast and published it early, on Tuesday night, but it was a good one and worth another listen if you have not done so already.
- Big plans for the new year. This site has already gone through some major redesign and some of the content we offer you is going to change as well. Be sure to read all about the new year here!
Hulu.com Replaced the Cable Company
It is wonderful, when an online company offers just about the same service as the cable company does. And they they do a great job. Plus they have the TV shows that we enjoy watching, they hold them in a queue for us, and we can watch them whenever we want to. All of this lets us do what we enjoy doing: SAVE MONEY.
It Is Going To Rain – Get an Umbrella and Save
Plan on worst case everything and never think that you are immune from the unexpected in life just because you are you. IT is going to happen (your car is going to break down, and you are going to need life saving procedures done that are not covered). Plan for it.
Another week in the books. I hope you all had a great time brining in the new year! Here’s to a successful 2009 saving more money!
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Weekend Review – The Wow This is Crazy Edition
Yes, the title says that this is crazy. It is. Lindsay and I sat down at our local Starbucks and talked about what we want this website and the podcast to look like in the new year. Lots of big changes to come, but a post on that will publish later this week. The first part of the new year and this website is a new theme, a more functional, premium theme. It will showcase a lot of archived articles and make things more searchable and easy to navigate. It is easier said than done and we have been working on shaping the new theme to fit our needs all weekend.
As a result of the time on the new theme, I have had to become a tad bit distant with creating content here and just keeping up with articles. Please accept my deepest apologies for this! Everything we are doing is for you and I do not want you to think that our attention is anywhere else. It is not, I can promise you that (just wait and see what we have in store for the new year!!!).
So how was your Christmas? Did you get together with family? We’d love to hear your Christmas stories in the comments!!
Before my coffee starts to go cold, here is the weekend review…
How to Save When it Comes to Children
Just in general, when you are purchasing toys think about whether you honestly need or not, or do you just think it would be nice to get something new. Save that money and put it towards something more long lasting for your child. Use it to buy a bike when they get older or start a college fund for them.
When you are sliding that card (debit or credit) you lose track of how much you are spending almost immediately. Out of sight out of mind is the key here! You don’t see the CASH leaving your account so it is hard to account for it. Use cash and you see it leaving you, it almost pains you, so you keep close track of it and know how much you have left and what you need it for. With plastic it gives you the ILLUSION that the cash will never run out.
44th Money Hacks Carnival – The Merry Christmas Edition
…get in your favorite pair of sweatpants and sweatshirt, grab that mug of hot chocolate, curl up on the couch near the crackling fireplace, and boot up that laptop. This is the 44th Money Hacks Carnival – Merry Christmas Edition, ENJOY!
WYAN Radio Ep #5 – Gmail Stickers and Setting Financial Resolutions
Show Notes for your convenience:
Our Debt
Financial Resolutions (financial destinations)
- Track Expenses for 30 Days (TWYS; I’m on twitter @aaronaiken)
- Get on a Budget
- Save $1,000 for Emergency Expenses
- Pay Off Credit Card Debt
- Saving One Month of Living Expenses
- Pay Off Consumer Debt
- Saving Three Month of Living Expenses
- Save for Big Ticket Items – Car/House/etc…
Email the show at: wyanradio@gmail.com
Featured Artist – Ryan Calhoun
www.myspace.com/ryancalhounmusic
Our Christmas – The Unwrapped Edition
Our Christmas day was AWESOME! We both absolutely love this time of year and do not need too much in the way of gifts to have a great time with friends and family. We did our own Christmas at our place in the morning and spent the afternoon and evening visiting Lindsay’s side of the family. We landed at her parents house at 6pm for a delicious Christmas dinner!
That’s it folks! I hope that you enjoyed this week, especially the carnival! Lots of awesome articles were submitted and lots of great blogs that you can and should add to your financial reading.
Now, if you don’t mine, I’m going to get back to planning for the new year…like I said earlier, LOTS OF GREAT THINGS ARE COMING!! Stay tuned…
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Weekend Review – Broken iTunes Edition
iTunes is still broken. I worked on what I could yesterday but am now in a state of limbo. Waiting to here back from both iTunes and our podcast host. So, in the meantime please wander over to wyanradio.com to give the latest podcast (Ep 4 – Visualize Your Savings) a listen! I will update you when iTunes seems to be working again so that all of you iTunes users will be happy again.
4 days to Christmas! Can you believe it? No, me either. This year FLEW by and I have a feeling that 2009 is going to go even quicker! Buckle in folks, it’s going to be quite a ride…and speaking of 2009, have you come up with your 2009 financial resolutions yet?? Well if not, you still have time before we want you to call into our LIVE radio show on January 3rd, 2009! We’ll be taking your phone calls from 1pm-2pm EST, and we’d love to hear from YOU! So start working on those resolutions…
And on with the show::
The money you earn is given to you, so you then need to give; 10% is a good place to start, and start now. Give of your money and know that you are helping those who need to be helped, and you are touching people that you would not otherwise touch. This is a good and healthy thing for you to do.
Free Entertainment With no Catch – Your Free Lunch
I am a big internet enthusiast, and I try not to push that on the content here, but these services are very relevant to what we talk about here and I want all of you to take advantage of them! As time goes on and we start to push more and more content online, you are going to want to get a head start by checking out the services mentioned above, because soon you will truly be watching TV online, it is only a matter of time before it is mainstream.
16 Ways to Stay Afloat in a Sinking Economy
Anything that you deem as extra in your life, or you know you could LIVE without it, get rid of it and don’t look back! If the economy is tough on you, then you need to be tough on it. Do what you have to do to keep LIVING. This will teach you a few lessons along the way, and one of them will be frugality. Learn it and live it; it will save you boat loads!
We Are Going to be on LIVE Radio
I know, scary! LIVE radio, no editing allowed and no cool bumper music, well maybe, but I need to figure out some of the logistics involved there. This is just a heads up for YOU to put this event on your calendar so that you can listen and/or call in to join us LIVE.
December in general is a pricey month. There are Christmas parties to go to, which normally means you’ll need a good outfit and a gift. There are Christmas plays and shows to attend as well as Christmas Day itself and all that the day entails. My December is packed with all of that as well as having to plan an anniversary party for roughly 50 people. Now I don’t want you to think I’m complaining because I’m not. I love planning parties and this is actually my second large one this year. The point I do want to make is how I saved money so that this party wouldn’t turn into a financial strain for all the people involved.
10 Tips to Plan a Party on a Budget
Do Research: It is very important to know what is appropriate for the occasion that you’re planning. You should have an idea of what has worked for others in the past and what should just be left alone. This applies to location, decorations, the guest list, and food as well. A well thought out party is a successful party.
WYAN Radio Ep #4 – Visualize Your Savings
Show Notes:
How to VISUALLY Track Your Progress (our version)
Download your own fund raiser
Email your pictures to us at wyanradio [at] gmail [dot] com
Feedthepig.org
Revrun.com
Info on our LIVE Radio Show on January 3rd, 2009 1pm EST
Eoin Harrington (website and Myspace)
That’ll do it folks! Another busy week but lots of good content that I hope is helping you manage your money better and make wiser decisions! I hope you have a fantastic weekend and a great Christmas!!
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Free Entertainment With No Catch – Your Free Lunch
Whoever said there was no such thing as a free lunch was looking in all of the wrong places or was too picky. It is simply false, especially when it comes to entertainment (video/audio) online. It can be done, and it is being done. And what is really great about these types of services is that they do not try to sucker you in to anything you do not need to use the service. Sure, they have the occasional ad, but it is not pushy at all.
I’m talking about services like Pandora Radio, Slacker Radio, Hulu.com, and countless others that help you get the content you want at the price you want: FREE.
Pandora.com
Think personal radio meets your music collection which meets your mood. Add that all up and you get a perfect selection of music that will have you listening for hours upon hours without skipping songs or feeling tired of your current selection. Their Music Genome Project almost has a direct line to your brain as it cycles through the songs it dishes out for you. That along with you giving songs a “thumbs-up” or “thumbs-down” directs the music in the way you would like it to be played. Don’t like a song that is playing, give it the thumbs down and they won’t play that song again OR any songs that are very similar to it.
To get started using Pandora Radio, just sign up, create a “station” by entering an artist or song, and off you go! Don’t forget to set a timer for those Christmas cookies 
Slacker Radio
Slacker Radio (which I am listening to as I write this – “Holiday Hits”) brings you the musical selection and knowledge of Pandora but without any input necessary from you. It does have the feature to mark songs as “Favorites” as they play, and even “Ban” them from that particular station; but the DJs that put the stations together must be watching you as you listen. I rarely have to ban a song from a station and I love that I don’t have to interact with the station unless I really want to tweak it. They have a HUGE selection of stations and a great selection of Holiday stations…
To get started using Slacker, just go to the website, choose a station and turn up the speakers. They do the rest. (Personal favorites for Christmas Music – Holiday Hits, Holiday Party, and Jazz Holiday)
Hulu.com
Lindsay and I have spoke in the past to the fact that we DO NOT have cable TV or even local TV. But we are still able to keep up on the latest episode of Bones, House, and even shows like 24. “How,” you ask? Hulu.com. Free, premium TV, available to you on your computer. Go to the website, create an account, and start poking around. You’ll find the layout and interface of the site very intuitive and easy to navigate. Easily navigate to TV shows, even movies, that you like and click the subscribe button. Next time they are fed an episode from that particular show they will email you letting you know that you have a new show waiting for you in your queue.
I’ll talk about Hulu.com in more detail in the next few weeks, but go over to the website and get started! Maybe even call your cable company while you are signing up for Hulu. Tell them you are sorry, but Aaron told you that you don’t need them anymore (Really, I mean that. I’ll tell you why in a few weeks…but get a head start and cancel now)!
I am a big internet enthusiast, and I try not to push that on the content here, but these services are very relevant to what we talk about here and I want all of you to take advantage of them! As time goes on and we start to push more and more content online, you are going to want to get a head start by checking out the services mentioned above, because soon you will truly be watching TV online, it is only a matter of time before it is mainstream. Best of all, right now these types of services are FREE and there is really no excuse to not use them! They all offer PREMIUM content at a price that you can’t beat: FREE (take that “no such thing as a free lunch” guy)!
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Weekend Review – Unlimited Access To Aaron's Blackberry Edition
Wow. Time is flying. Did you know that the end of the year is only a few weeks away?! Yes, 20 days to be exact, and we are in the year 2009. Geez. Time is flying. And speaking of 2009, we have BIG plans for the new year! Lots of new content and ways for you and us to communicate WITH US about money. Bridging the gap could be the title of the new year, bridging the gap between money and you. Getting your questions answered, etc.
Anyway, as new features become available we will let you know!
This weekend is a pretty busy weekend for us. For the past month or so, Lindsay has been planning the party for my parents 25th anniversary party. You are probably wondering why she planned it and not me. Well, I’m just better at encouraging people to the finish line I guess. But, tomorrow evening is the main event and it is all going to turn out great (see, there I go again, encouraging her!). She has worked VERY hard on this and did a fantastic job of making sure everything got taken care of so that my parents can truly CELEBRATE being married for 25 years; which is becoming a rarity now-a-days.
So yes, that’s us but what about you! What plans to do you have for the weekend? Would you mind sharing?
Onward and forward, the week in review below:
WYAN Radio Ep. 2 – Cardboard Pizza
Lindsay joined me for this episode of the WYAN Radio Podcast, and we had a blast! We bring you the usual feedthepig.org weekly savings tip as well as a tip from Rev Run (Lindsay’s favorite celebrity).
The economy has definitely diminished since this time last year and it is showing its effects more and more every day. The more I read other blogs and news articles on the slow economy the more I wonder how Christmas day will change for people. In reading up on the topic I’ve been noticing that people are really concerned about buying gifts for other people. Not that they can’t afford to buy anything, but that they are worried their gifts won’t be received well. Why?
Hey there everyone, just a quick note in regards to the podcast. We have given the RSS responsibilities over to good ‘ol Feedburner, so you’re going to have to update your reader with the new feed: http://feeds.feedburner.com/wyanradio. Make sure you do this so you don’t miss any episodes!
Redefine The American Dream pt. 8 – Entertaining
You want to get into debt, and fast? Throw a BIG party or have a wedding that you can’t REALLY afford. That six hour event can put you six figures in debt just like that. And then what? That’s right, you’ll be sliding that credit card and it only gets worse from there.
People are yelling “the economy is bad, the economy is bad”, It may be, to them. Do not let their opinions and concerns be yours. If you are fine, financially, then stay put. Don’t do anything off of what the 63 year old guy down the road, who has his entire retirement funded by his investment portfolio, says. His concerns are not yours. Make your financial decisions based off of YOUR finances, because they are very PERSONAL to you.
You read it right! Not only are we heading into the world of radio but we are taking over Facebook as well. You’ll be able to get updates on everything going on with our website and podcast and chat with us, your favorite writers and radio hosts! Make sure you join our Facebook group so you don’t ever miss a beat.
How To Save an Extra $150 Each Month
…at the end of each month we had a pretty big surplus that was “budgeted”. What do you think we did with the extra cash (bought personal flotation devices)? What would you do (buy personal flotation devices)? Exactly. We just recategorized the money into nonexistent categories like “Eating out” and “too much coffee in a day” and of course “personal flotation devices”. We didn’t sweat it, and neither would you because the money was budgeted for, it was EXTRA.
9 Reasons You Should Save For Your Car’s Annual Inspection
My Honda Accord was inspected in November and I am SO thankful that we saved for it! I know every year, based on historical data, that I will put at least $600 in my car in a year’s time (it has never gone over $700). So this year, we planned for $600 and fell short (meaning I had to use some cash from our “emergency expense” fund) by $70. This is not bad at all if you ask me!
Wow. Now that I put all of that in here I realize that we had a pretty busy and good week as far as content goes! AWESOME!
I truly hope that you are finding what we bring to you helpful to your finances. As much as we try to make our content easy to understand and entertaining, we want it to be helpful and enlightening. If this is not the case for you, LET US KNOW!
Also, I’m walking out on a limb here: do you have questions? Questions about money, the economy, debt, budgeting, what you should eat for dinner? Please ask us! You can email me directly at aaron@whereyouarenow.com, Lindsay directly at lindsay@whereyouarenow.com, or reach both of us at info@whereyouarenow.com. I’m going to go even further, if you are a Blackberry user, my PIN is: 24432C45. Add me to your Messenger list and have a direct line to my phone. Ask questions 24/7.
Also, join our Facebook group to participate in discussion of off this site and to get advance notice to Where You Are Now events.
Well, that’s it. Longer than I’d like for a weekend read for you, but nothing to do about that now! I hope you have a great weekend! See you Monday (but check back tonight for podcast Ep. #3)!
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Weekend Review – The Sick, Busy, Cold, Podcast, New Theme Edition
Do you ever have a week that seems to happen without you actually needing to be involved? This is the kind of week that happened this past week. Very busy, all a blur, and I (Aaron) ended up getting sick with some sort of 36 hour sickness that took me out of work for about two days.
But you are not here to hear about my week are you? You are here to see what we posted this week…so, without any further adieu:
Bloggers Unite – World AIDS Day
All it can take is one drink, one night, one party, ONE MISTAKE, and you could be affected for the rest of your life. Not just with bad memories, or no memory of it at all, but with HIV/AIDS. This is a reality, and one that you should not ignore. Get yourself checked out if you think you, or someone you know may have been infected. It is real and now is the time to act!
Redefine The American Dream pt. 7 – The Clothes You Wear
As we have discovered so far in our journey to redefine the American Dream, it is mostly made up of the outer appearance, and how the people around us see us. The house, the car, the degree hanging on the wall in the nice frame, and the debt that is covered up but used on a regular basis to fund this FAKE lifestyle. It is all for the sake of others.
Handling Your Household Finances
Aaron and I both decided that it would be a good idea for me to have practice with a budget sheet and managing money in general. He sat down with me and we worked on setting up a budget sheet that worked for both of us. Even though it is my paycheck there are still common goals that we are working towards. This extra income in helping us to save for those things faster while still paying off my college debt month to month. This has worked out great so far. I am learning first hand how to handle money while still having Aaron involved.
Free Christmas Activity at Bass Pro Shops
Now through December 24th your local Bass Pro Shop is holding their very own Santa’s Wonderland! That’s right, grab the kids, little brothers or sisters, even your niece (which we did) or nephew and head down to Bass Pro Shop.
Gas Prices are Low – Don’t Waste the Extra Cash
Are you seeing savings in your gas budget each month? What are you using that extra money for? Do you mind if I make a suggestion? SAVE IT!! Put it towards gas next month, just stick it towards a debt you are paying down or a saving goal you are trying to reach!
Decorate This Christmas With a Budget appeared at the Money Hacks 41st Carnival hosted by Ask Mr. Credit. “Thanks for Hosting!”
There you have it! I hope you are keeping warm, but also keeping the heat a little lower this year to save some extra cash each month
Keep your ear tuned to our radio show, I’m recording Episode #2 today and hope to have it sent out here and on iTunes this weekend (subscribe!). Give Episode #1 a listen if you haven’t already! Also, just to keep you all in the loop who read here on a regular basis, within the next few weeks you will see a new theme for the site. It will give you more articles at a glance and also rotate featured articles that we recommend…when we have it launched your feedback will be appreciated!
Before I go on any longer – HAVE A GREAT WEEKEND!!
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Weekend Review – I'm Stuffed Edition
Wow, what a Thanksgiving! We went to four different homes yesterday, all family visits, and ate at every single one…I’m STUFFED!!
I will be the first to tell you that my mother in-law can cook! Whenever we are over at their place for dinner I feel like I eat like a king, she’s that good. Everything Thanksgiving she serves an appetizer that is a new dish she has never tried herself, so it always add a little mystery to it. This year was Butternut Squash Soup. FANTASTIC!
“Please sir, I want some more!”
I would have been happy with just the soup for the meal, but we did not stop there, of course. It was a great day, and we were able to see all of the family we wanted to see. It truly was a Happy Thanksgiving, and I hope yours was the same.
Before I take anymore of your valuable time, here is a recap of the articles we had this past week:
A Positive Attitude is Worth More Than the Amount
“Ohhhhh,” you respond. “So if I tell myself that a payment is better than no payment I will slowly but surely chip away at the debt and eventually have it paid off?”
“That’s right,” he says as he turns and walks in the other direction, his super hero cape flapping in the wind.
Redefine The American Dream Pt. 6 – College Pt. 3
He knew what he LOVED and he did that! So, after high school, college was the choice for him. He wanted to further his knowledge in the recording business and since graduation has grown in his talent even more! College was for him, and it is good that he went. College was not for me, and it is good that I did not go. I’m doing fine in life and so is he. Two different paths, one destination.
Service Review – Tweet What You Spend (TWYS)
Feel like you lose track of how much you have spent during any given day? Never fear, TWYS is here! They’ll send you alerts when you start to get close to your spending limit. That way you know that you should not make the next purchase if you want to stay under your pre-set limit.
Be Thankful Today – HAPPY THANKSGIVING
One of the main reasons Americans save 0% of their income and spend $1.20 for every $1 they make is because they are not thankful! Be content with what you have and I promise that you will see more money in savings and less in debt.
Video Tutorial – Tracking Your Goals
If you have a savings account and if you have goals for multiple categories within that account, then this spreadsheet is for you. Categorize your savings account, keep track of where you are at with your goals, and see it all in one place. Another easy to use spreadsheet brought to you by Where You Are Now.
10 Ways to Earn Extra Cash This Holiday Season appeared at the 40th Money Hacks Carnival hosted by Steadfast Finances, “Thanks for hosting!”
Tomorrow Lindsay and I are going to put up our Christmas tree, which we still have to find a place for in the family room of our apartment. Wish us luck!!
Hope you have a great weekend!
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Service Review – Tweet What You Spend (TWYS)
How many of you lose track of the cash you are spending? *raises hand*. How many of you wish there was a quick and easy way to track the cash that you are spending? *raises hand*. What if I told you that there was a service out there that did just that? AND what if I told you that it was a sinch to use? Would you check it out?
Good. Me too, and I did, 30 days ago. This is a review on the cash tracking service Tweet What You Spend (TWYS).
What is Tweet What You Spend?
TWYS is a cash tracking service that uses the micro-blogging service Twitter (not sure what Twitter is, check out Twitter In Plain English). TWYS allows you to send them a direct message with information about your cash purchase and will store that information online in your personal “journal”. From there, your purchases are grouped and totaled for instant access to your spending habits. You can also export the information collected to CSV or Excel with the push of a button.
Tweet What You Spend Key Features
“No need to keep the receipt! Enter transactions at the point of sale through your mobile phone using Twitter” – How simple is that? Don’t worry about keeping the receipt, writing down the purchase information, or using some other method that requires more than two hands. Simply pull out your phone, send a direct message to TWYS (ex: “d twys groceries 35.00 food”) and off you go. Your TWYS journal on their website does the rest!
“Categorize your cash spending through drag-and-drop controls in your secure Cash Journal” – Don’t know how to catagorize a purchase right after you made it, or 
feel like you put it in the wrong catagory? No sweat. They have easy to use drag and drop features in your journal that allow you to easily change the catagory so that it is correct. And to go along with the easy to use interface, TWYS will do all the math behind the scenes so you don’t have to worry about correcting anything. Just drag-and-drop!
“Set daily spending limits and receive alerts to your mobile phone when you near them” – This one is awesome. Feel like you lose track of how much you have spent during any given day? Never fear, TWYS is here! They’ll send you alerts when you start to get close to 
your spending limit. That way you know that you should not make the next purhcase if you want to stay under your pre-set limit.
“Export your Cash Journal to CSV or Excel” – Doing the 30 Day Challenge? Here you go! Scratch the old way of doing things (taking the information from receipts, random pieces of paper, and notes on your hand and putting it into the excel spreadsheet that I built for you) and let TWYS do all of the input and output for you. All you have to do is track all of your spending with their service for 30 days and then export that information to CSV or Excel. It grabs the purchase, amount, catagory, date, time, and other information to help you take a closer look at your spending habits.
How Can TWYS Help You?
As humans we are natually terrible at managing our money. We need reminders, spreadsheets, computer applications, accountants, and websites like this one to keep us in line with our money. Take some of the pain away from doing this and use TWYS to track your spending! Never lose track again and always know how much you spent on what. From there, trim the fat!
New Features Planned for Tweet What You Spend
Below are some of the planned Tweetwhatyouspend improvements, which you can also find under http://news.tweetwhatyouspend.com.
- Custom categories – ability to define your own custom spending categories. (ADDED THIS WEEK!)
- New cash journal views – see your cash spending broken up by selected week or month
- Joint accounts – combine more then one Twitter account into one cash journal view so that you can see group or family spending habits
My Thoughts After 30 Days
As I try do with any service I review, I used TWYS for 30 days before I wrote this review and came to my conclusion of the service.
Well, as someone who is on Twitter all day I found this service to be awesome. I use Fuelfrog on a regular basis to track my fuel consumption and have always been on the outlook for a service that was integrated with Twitter and allowed me to manage some aspect of my money. When the co-founder of Twitter sent out a message about Tweet What You Spend I could not resist but look into it. I signed up and started using the service that very same day.
It has been a blast. It is so easy to use and is no more difficult than trying to remember to get a receipt to then enter into our spending plan that we use to make sure we don’t go over our budget each month. And setting it up is easy too! Just login into Twitter, follow TWYS, send them a direct message, click the link in their direct message back to you, and you’re ready to go! Never worry about where your money went again (combine this service with Rudder.com and I see a match made in financial heaven!).
So, if I were you, I would get a Twitter account if you don’t already have one, register with TWYS, and start tracking your money with an easy to use tool that is light weight and fits in your pocket.
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