Nine months of Tracking My Spending with Firefly III

As someone who loves to keep track of finances, I began using Firefly III seriously in March 2024 to monitor and analyze my spending habits. It’s been an eye-opening experience, and today, after running some reports, I came across something that truly surprised me. I had always thought my spending was relatively normal, but when I saw the report for my food and drinks expenses, I was taken aback: I had spent over €3,200 on just eating out and drinks!

My Journey with Firefly III

If you’re not familiar with Firefly III, it’s an open-source, self-hosted personal finance manager that helps users track their expenses, income, and assets. I’ve been using it seriously since March 2024, diligently categorizing all of my expenses and syncing my bank accounts for a comprehensive view of my financial life. The platform offers detailed reports and insights, which is exactly what helped me uncover the surprising details about my food and drink spending.

The Surprising Discovery

When I first set up Firefly III, I categorized my expenses as I usually would. Food and drinks were always a part of my monthly budget, but I never gave it much thought. I assumed my spending was typical, considering I enjoy dining out with friends. However, when I took a deep dive into my reports today, I was stunned.

Over the course of the period since March, I had spent a whopping €3,200 just on food and drinks outside of the home. This included restaurant meals, fast food and coffee shops. I had expected it to be significant, but not that significant.

What This Means for My Budget

This discovery has definitely been a wake-up call. Although €3,200 for food and drinks in 9 months isn’t an outrageous amount compared to many, it’s a reminder that every little spending habit adds up. The total doesn’t include groceries or any home-cooked meals, which means I could be spending even more than I realize on food alone.

Lessons Learned

The most significant lesson I’ve learned from using Firefly III and running these reports is the importance of reviewing your finances regularly. It’s easy to overlook small expenses here and there, but when they add up, they can take a big chunk out of your overall budget.

Tracking your spending gives you a clearer picture of where your money is going, and it’s a great tool for making better financial decisions. If you’re not using something like Firefly III, I highly recommend it. It’s been an essential tool for keeping me on track with my finances and discovering areas where I can improve.