Read how PocketSmith helped Andy get back into the habit of managing money and feel more motivated about his finances again.
I work for an international nonprofit organisation and live in Melbourne with my partner and our cavoodle, Maggie.
Despite my best efforts, Maggie runs the flat. Endless stuffed toys, tennis balls, random balled-up socks and pieces of sharp kibble strewn about and just waiting for you to step on with bare feet is pretty much the household vibe. I am but a servant.
I do manage to handle most of our finances when not tending to canine whims.
Despite using finance planning platforms in the past, I went several years without making finance tracking one of my daily habits. I had become passive in money management and listless in my goals. And it showed. I was spending too much money on bars and restaurants, clothes and other discretionary expenditures. I decided that had to change if we were ever going to buy a place to live, and did research on available options, including PocketSmith.
One year and some change.
Nothing extraordinary, just basic household finances across a few accounts, a mortgage offset account and retirement accounts. For what I need, it’s perfect. Intuitive, comprehensive, even fun.
I’m able to see the big picture. I live on a budget within a 2-3% variance most months and am able to predict where I may need to be more flexible in one budget item and where to save in another.
The Budget field is really fantastic. Easy to track on a monthly, quarterly, and YTD basis, and compare spending to past periods. For someone without training in finance or accounting, it meets me where I’m at and has been easy to learn.
PocketSmith is great for tracking spending across different currencies, which is very helpful should you have an international position. It can get tricky with your budgets, but they have a great guide on budgets and multi-currency that allowed me to level up my use.
I started saving a small amount more each paycheck for my retirement, and I’m amazed by how much has accrued in the account over the past year. It’s a really great motivator to save.
