12 pasos para el bienestar financiero – Paso 1: Cómo realizar un seguimiento de sus gastos

¿Estás listo para unirte a nosotros en un viaje hacia el bienestar financiero?

Each month in 2025, we will focus on one step of a journey toward financial wellness. We’ll tackle the topic in detail and help you learn all you need to know about that step. Follow along, and at the end of the year, you’ll have mastered the tools for a life of financial wellness.

Es enero. Es el primero del año. Es una época de resoluciones, cambios, fijación de objetivos y crecimiento personal. Si vas a cambiar algo este año, que sean tus finanzas. Ponerse "en forma financiera" afectará cada área de su vida. Tal vez le ayude a pagar la membresía del gimnasio o comprar un gimnasio en casa. Tal vez le permita tomar las vacaciones de sus sueños con su pareja o su familia. Tal vez le permita descansar y no preocuparse por las facturas y cómo se pagarán todas. Comience este año eligiendo sus objetivos financieros como máxima prioridad. Dicho todo esto, comencemos con el Paso 1.

Hacer un seguimiento de sus gastos es el primer paso hacia una mayor conciencia financiera y, en última instancia, hacia la salud financiera. Sin embargo, dominar esta habilidad es más fácil de decir que de hacer. ¿Cómo puedes realizar un seguimiento de cada dólar que gastas cuando realizas varias compras cada día?

He descrito cómo realizar un seguimiento de sus gastos en 3 sencillos pasos.

1. Elige tus herramientas

Tracing every dollar’s journey isn’t easy, but with the right tools, you can make it organized. Choose from one of the following money-tracking techniques:

• Personal Financial Management Apps – Si tu vida transcurre en tu teléfono, puedes descargar una aplicación de presupuesto como YNAB to help you track your spending. The app allows you to allocate a specific amount of money for each spending category for each month, and will enable you to track your spending with just a few clicks. It’s not free but may be worth the price for users who want to take on a more active role in their money management. For a free experience, check out the Gestión de dinero por MX feature in your ATFCU digital banking platforms. It’s integrated into your spending at ATFCU and you can add external accounts as well. The program allows you to set goals, create budgets, and track your spending from the comfort of your home or wherever you are. Administración del dinero is a powerful tool and can help you immensely.
• Spreadsheet – Maybe you prefer to see everything spelled out clearly on a single page. If so, a spreadsheet might be a better choice. You’ll need to record every transaction, but if you prepare the sheet with all the spending categories you think you’ll need, this step shouldn’t take long at all.
• El sistema de sobres. If much of your purchasing is done using cash, consider withdrawing the cash you think you’ll spend in a month (or in a week) and keeping it in envelopes designated for each category. When you need to make a purchase, just use money from the envelope. I tend to do this but digitally. My husband and I I have 10 savings accounts and 3 checking accounts, and each has a specific name. Here are some of the categories we use: emergency savings, Christmas, giving, eating out, vehicle fund, and a savings account for our kids’ activities. I have direct transfers set up from our paychecks, so we are always saving. Then when I need to buy Christmas gifts I just transfer the money from that savings to my checking account. Or when I have to go to one of the boys soccer games or purchase new cleats, I take the money from the activity savings. I personally don’t like carrying cash because I always forget what I spent it on or it disappears…🤔. You can decide which system works best for you, cash or digital ‘envelopes’.
• Ingresos. Conserve todos los recibos de las compras que realice este mes para poder realizar un seguimiento de sus gastos.
• Lápiz y papel. Recording each purchase the old-fashioned way can help you make more mindful money choices throughout the day. Be sure to keep a steady supply of both writing instruments handy at all times so you never miss a purchase. My mom still keeps a check register. Do y’all even know what that is? I know my kids don’t. If you do, the credit union has them available in our lobbies if you need a new one to keep track of your spending and running balance.

2. Revise atentamente los extractos de su cuenta corriente y de su tarjeta de crédito.

solog with one of the tools listed above, you can track the purchases you make using plastic by reviewing your monthly checking account and credit card statements at the end of the month.  ATFCU monthly statements are available as Extractos electrónicos or can be mailed to your home.  You probably have similar options with your credit cards.

3. Revisa y categoriza tus compras

At the end of the month, use your chosen tool to review all the purchases you’ve made throughout the month. If you’ve used an app or a spreadsheet, adding your purchases to find the total amount of money spent should be relatively simple. The app or spreadsheet may have already helped you divide the money spent into separate categories. Similarly, if you’ve used the envelope system, you should know how much you spent on each category. However, if you’ve chosen another method to track your spending, you may need to crunch some numbers to get an accurate picture of your spending habits.

When completing this step, don’t forget to include any automated payments you may rarely think about, such as subscription fees and insurance premiums. Another great feature of Gestión de dinero por MX is that it shows you all your subscriptions in a tab. It shows when they are due or get deducted from you account and makes it easier to not forget.

Hacer un seguimiento de sus gastos e identificar sus pérdidas de dinero es el primer paso hacia una mayor conciencia y responsabilidad financiera. Utilice los consejos que se describen aquí para dominar con éxito la habilidad de realizar un seguimiento de sus gastos.