How to actually keep track of your bills (without a spreadsheet)

Most people don't overspend because they're careless. They overspend because the money that's already promised to someone else still looks available in their bank balance. A bill tracker fixes that by moving future commitments into today's decision.

Here is the method DUE is built around, and you can follow it with any tool — including a notebook.

1. List every committed payment, not just the big ones

Rent, loan repayments, insurance, streaming, the gym, the annual domain renewal you forget every year. Small recurring amounts do the most damage because they never trigger a second thought.

• Scan your last three months of statements, not one — quarterly and annual charges hide.
• Record the amount, the date and whether it repeats.
• Flag anything that renews automatically.

2. Give every bill a real date

A bill without a date is a worry, not a plan. Once each item has a due date you can answer the only question that matters: how much of my balance is actually mine between now and payday?

3. Work in 'safe to spend', not 'balance'

Take your current balance, subtract everything due before your next income, and divide what's left by the number of days remaining. That daily number is the one to shop against. DUE calculates it for you and updates it every time a bill is added or marked paid.

4. Review once a month, cancel once a quarter

Ten minutes a month is enough. Look for price rises, duplicates and anything you haven't used. Cancelling one €12 subscription is a €144 raise over a year.