expense record book
Also called: catatan harian
A daily record of money in and out to monitor spending habits.
What it means
An expense record book is a daily or monthly record of all money going out and coming in within the household. It can be written in a notebook, spreadsheet, or finance-tracking app. The goal is for the family to know where the money goes.
Why it matters for families
Without records, families often feel the money is gone without knowing what for. An expense record helps uncover small leaks that add up to a large amount in a month. This data also becomes the basis for making a budget and saving.
Example
For example, a family records expenses for a month and finds daily snacks of Rp25 thousand per person. If there are two people, that is Rp1.5 million a month. With that record, the family can decide to cut back on snacks and move the money to savings.
Common misunderstanding
Many think recording expenses is only needed when money is tight. In fact, it is precisely when income is sufficient that records help prevent spending from swelling unnoticed.