How I Track Every Euro Without a Spreadsheet

I have written hundreds of articles about budgeting tools, apps, methods, and philosophies. The system I personally use is embarrassingly low-tech. Here it is.

I have one bank account where my salary lands. I have a second bank account that I move 60% of my salary to on the first of the month — that one is for fixed expenses (rent, utilities, subscriptions, gym, transport). I have a third account that I move 25% to — that is for variable expenses (groceries, eating out, fun). I have a fourth account that gets 15% — that is savings and investing.

That is the entire system. No spreadsheet. No app. Four bank accounts and three transfers on payday.

Why This Works When the Spreadsheets Did Not

The thing that breaks most budgeting systems is the cognitive load of tracking every transaction. The spreadsheet sounds disciplined; in practice, it falls apart in week three.

Bank-account-based budgeting works because the money is segregated by purpose at the source. When the variable-expenses account is empty, you stop spending. You do not have to look it up in an app. You just see the empty balance.

The transfers on payday are the only friction. Three minutes, once a month. Everything else is the bank doing the work for you.