How I got control of my finances with a simple Notion tracker

Spending without thinking

For years I spent money without thinking much about it. I never had a real issue with money. Of course I've been a student, but even then I worked so I always had enough to get through the days. When I started working my salary increased and I started spending. I didn't think much about it then, but now, when older, those choices could've been better.

The shift

I went years living like this. Income in, expenses out, without any real logic or long-term thinking. It was never a problem. Until a personal reset made me question everything and I had to start over. That's when things changed. It had to.

I had some money in the bank but now I needed to provide solely for myself again. It was a scary time, but it also forced me to grow. To think differently. Long term. How would I provide in uncertain times? What about big purchases? What if I lose my job? The questions made me anxious, and I needed a way to gain control.

The budget

Not rocket science, but I made one. I mapped my income, then my fixed costs: subscriptions, groceries, transportation, rent. The things I needed to live a normal life. Then an "other" category for everything else.

The realisation hit hard. When I saw the numbers in front of me my jaw almost dropped. If I stuck to my budget and only paid for what I needed, I'd have almost 30% of my income left. That calmed me down, but also made me a little disappointed in myself for how long I'd been wasting money without noticing.

What I learned about my finances after budgeting in Notion

A budget gave me clarity. A system gave me control. I built a Personal Finance Tracker in Notion. Everything in one place: budget, accounts, savings, transfers, income, expenses, subscriptions. I open it every month and I know exactly where I stand.

If you want real financial change, start with a budget. Then start tracking. I built mine in Notion, you can grab the Notion Finance Tracker here.