templates.
I don't use a template per se but I do have different excel spreadsheets for different types of decisions and data
i.e
1. food spreadsheet showing normal, sales, and best prices to allow for advance big buys. For example I bought over a years paper towels in advance because I could see big increase coming and saved a great deal of money.
2. Yearly budget which incorporated long term items. Example you won't buy a TV every year but over your lifetime the accumulation of refrigerators, TVs, washers,dryers, etc, etc are predictable to set aside a "medium range budget fund"
3.Long term analyis. It is relatively easily to create a yearly budget for when you are 80 in today's dollars and adjust for inflation.
4. Items to be bought in the future divided between throw-away (gym shorts, etc)
added (vehicles, saw blades,
saw), and lifetime (needles, carbon steel knives, etc).Then you decide if you want to buy used at a yard sale or new if you know the cost of each type. (for instance, I never buy a new dryer but always buy a used). Old tools in good shape are better buys than new.
5.Misc expense tradeoffs. I know what the state parks cost versus a motel
6.finally do a spreadsheet on all major plans. For instance if you go to the west coast and fly into San Diego but stay minimum nights before a trip to LA, some airlines used to let it be a roundtrip. The rentacar company doesn't charge you a drop off charge. LA near Disneyland is MUCH MUCH cheaper than San Diego so stopping at the Wild Animal Park on the drive up can be much cheaper because you are sleeping outside of San Diego. The point of all of this is that you get to see the same things for much less money because you aren't paying additional charges.
