I hate doing the writing everything down, but mostly because then I have to be accountable for all the dribs and drabs. It does work though.

The other place we lose $$ is Bunnings atm Things like replacing lightbulbs, buying mulch etc. It really adds up. Also we've bought a couple of items that we never budgeted for, like a lawnmower. Repairs, petrol going up, increased utility bills all eat up the extra cash.

We now have a few bank accounts (all free) to separate various things. With the joint accounts, we have 1 for day to day transactions. If the cash runs out we can't spend any more. We also have an account for direct debits to come out of - all the rent, bills etc come out of that. Our phone, electricity and gas is a set amount each month so there's no surprises. We've stoppped using the credit card and once it's paid off we're closing it.

A big tip is the first thing you do is put $ into saving (10% recommended) and work your expenses in with what's left over.