Web site helps guide budgeting

Take control of your spending. Once you see where you spend your money, you can determine where to cut expenses. Those who look at their bank statements in puzzlement, wondering where all the money has gone, maybe it’s time to join the government agencies in creating an annual budget to keep personal finances under control.

Creating and sticking to a budget might be easier than you think.

Here are some tips from The Neat Company (www.neatco.com), a developer of scanning software solutions that helps its customers save, track and manage information, including budgets:

• Save your receipts. You need to know where your money goes before you can budget. Save the receipts from every purchase that you make over the next month.

Some companies help you track your receipts in digital format on your computer.

For example, with a product called NeatReceipts, you can scan your receipts into a computer, then create lists and digital folders that track your expenses.

• Organize and store your bills and documents in one central location. Bills, financial statements and other important documents often end up in various drawers or cabinets, making finding them a challenge. Store all of your documentation in one place, either by using a software based planning system or creating a filing system at home.

• Break down your spending. At the end of the month, review your receipts to see where your money went. You’ll likely be surprised when you see how you spent it.

NeatRe- ceipts offers several reports to identify where you spent your money in several categories such as food, utilities, household expenses and others.

• Take control of your spending. Once you see where you spend your money, you can determine where to cut expenses. For example, if you overspend on food, you might cut costs by eating out less, clipping coupons or eating a vegetarian meal once weekly. If you’re spending too much money on utilities, consider investing in energy-efficient appliances, turning off lights when you leave a room and waiting to do your laundry until you have full loads of dirty clothes.