I know that my mom was able to keep track of her finances simply by keeping her checkbook balanced. She always knew where she stood, and she always knew where her money was going each month. If she lost track, she could go back and look. Today, you can try that, but with credit cards and debit cards being so common, this is harder to do. That is when personal financial management software programs are the way to go. They can go on any computer, and work very well. You may find that you have some financial management software that comes with your computer, but it might not be what you need. You can turn it on and see what it offers before you decide if you have to go out and get something else.