By Viviana

Way back in my second post, Lean Times Tools, I wrote about little things that make it easier to be frugal or lean.  Then I was writing about, cutting off the end of a tube of toothpaste to get every last drop or using a mini spatula to dig out that last smear of skin cream this time I want to go a bit more high tech.

I have been trying to throw every available penny at my debts which means I have been caught short a few times when clients have not paid me on time or when an unexpected bill debts my account so to combat that situation ever happening again, I am now a subscriber to text message banking.  I now get a text message every time my account goes below a certain point and also when I get a credit of over £100.   This service gives me a bit of an edge when it comes to managing my finances.  I am very lucky that my bank gives this service for free but I believe I would subscribe to it even if I had to pay a nominal fee.

My other financial misstep is when I am not sure exactly when a direct debit is coming out of my account.  The dates vary month to month, so I now set a  reminder with Google Calendar when my bill arrives, which gives me a heads up two days before the money comes out of my account.  I find this method works for me, do you have another method that works for you? Leave me a comment as I need all the help I can get.