Other the past several years I have been using an online spreadsheet to manage my finances. It started with a monthly template which was added to, modified and refined into a yearly running check register that I find quite useful today. I have made a sample template to share with interested family and friends (that is you now)!

If you do a search for 'google sheets personal finance templates' you will discover 100's or even 1000's of free templates offered up. Many are more complicated. Some are more colorful. I don't know if my new offering will be of much interest, but it is what I use and I like it. Simple and effective. 

The link to this sample template is found at:  https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1iq9vZ41E43QfR_JEQj_MQjXvyboBKd2ybWG7Fnr8uTs/edit?usp=sharing
where you can simply 'save as copy' and start customizing it to fit your needs.

Pros:

• Using it as a google sheet allows me to access and update from any computer/device/phone in the world, although a desktop computer is most convenient.
• Entering details as soon as possible allows me to remember and document the what and why .. not as much 'honey, what did we spend $xxx on three months ago?'. 
• Recurring transactions are easily copied and reused .. just insert new line, copy, paste, update dates and info.
• Split transactions are fairly simple .. just add one line for each part of the split. eg 20 of 100 to Grocery and 80 of 100 to Merchandise ..
• Completely customizable - if you want 1000 expense categories, you can. If you have 100 bank accounts, you can have those tracked as well.

Cons:

• Completely customizable - if you mess up .. oops. However, Google Sheets does have a nice undo/history feature that can help you un-mess-up ..
• No auto offsite backup .. although Google Cloud is backed up .. if you ever lose your Google account or credentials you may be in trouble. I like to download an offsite copy to use as a local spreadsheet backup just in case. Easy! Click File > Download > OpenDocument or Excel and save the .ods or .xlsx file to your local computer
• Not a double entry system .. so as a workaround I just use the Transfer category and TWO offsetting entries for bill payments and the like eg "100 expense for Bill Payment in Checking" and "100 income for Bill Payment in Credit Card 1" with same dates .. it seems to work.
• You MAY have to learn how to use or just get around a spreadsheet - ouch
• You MIGHT get addicted to knowing just where your money is going and how much you have left!

In the great covid shutdown, I was in quarantine and a bit bored .. so I asked myself:

• What if there were 13 'months' in a year + 1 extra 'year day' each yearend plus 1 extra 'leap day' every leap year (about 1.25 days/year) Let's call the new 'months' a 'cycle' of 28 days and let's call the extra cycle/month 'newSol' at mid-year Why? Because the earth circles the sun every 365.25 days in a year. 13 'months' x 28 days is 364 .. only short those 1.25 days
• Week numbers 1-52 will correspond to Cycles 1-13. Every few years a 'Week53' will occur, like a 'leap week' ..
• Seasons simplified: A full-year is 52 weeks, half-year is 26 weeks, and a quarter-year (a season) is 13 weeks .. ignoring 'leap week's
• So what would that look like? Say if my week started on Sunday .. like in USA/Canada
• What would an automatic Calendar generating spreadsheet look like?

So glad you asked! My  answer was:see docs.google.com/spreadsheets

“We have been taught, and we understand, that we must do as the Lord commands ... “ (Primary Song 172 ‘We’ll Bring the World His Truth’). We are taught from scripture, from our leaders, and from out pulpits and, I trust, from above.
The scriptures are replete with scripture where the Lord freely forgives. My search online at (lds.org/scriptures) showed 90 specific references in the Standard Works, 25 from our Doctrine and Covenants, the scripture written most closely to our day. For example: (110:5) to Joseph/Oliver “Behold, your sins are forgiven you; you are clean before me; therefore, lift up your heads and rejoice.”; (25:3) to Emma “Behold, thy sins are forgiven thee, and thou art an elect lady, whom I have called.”; (112:3) and to other church leaders (Thomas B Marsh – senior apostle of the twelve at the time) “Nevertheless, inasmuch as thou hast abased thyself thou shalt be exalted; therefore, all thy sins are forgiven thee.” ; to us all (58:42) “Behold, he who has repented of his sins, the same is forgiven, and I, the Lord, remember them no more.”; (29:3) “Behold, verily, verily, I say unto you, that at this time your sins are forgiven you, therefore ye receive these things; but remember to sin no more, lest perils shall come upon you.”; (61:2) “Behold, verily thus saith the Lord unto you, O ye elders of my church, who are assembled upon this spot, whose sins are now forgiven you, for I, the Lord, forgive sins, and am merciful unto those who confess their sins with humble hearts;”; (64:3) “There are those among you who have sinned; but verily I say, for this once, for mine own glory, and for the salvation of souls, I have forgiven you your sins.”; (50:36) “And behold, verily I say unto you, blessed are you who are now hearing these words of mine from the mouth of my servant, for your sins are forgiven you.”

Sitting in our testimony meeting last week I was thinking on just what it meant to bear and to have a testimony. While I would have liked to be one of those standing to bear a testimony, I didn't really have anything very extraordinary to say, time was short with many others already speaking, and many other perfectly appropriate excuses came to my mind. I have a testimony. I know that God exists, that this is His church. He directs the leaders of this Church to our benefit, that living and following His teachings will bring us closer to Him. We are blessed ​when we follow him.