Choose your capture methods
Common options include manual entry, bank exports, statements, Android transaction notifications and transaction emails. You can combine them, but define which source is primary so the same purchase is not counted twice.
Capture the facts that affect decisions
At minimum, keep the amount, currency, transaction date, description and account or card. Add a category when it helps answer a budgeting question. Comments are valuable for unusual transactions, not as mandatory paperwork for every coffee.
Review uncertain records
Automation can save time, but source messages may omit details or use unfamiliar formats. Review low-confidence imports, duplicates, refunds, transfers and foreign-currency purchases before treating reports as final.
Use a short recurring review
A weekly review catches missing transactions while context is still fresh. Reconcile totals against statements periodically, correct categories that distort decisions and remove rules that create noise.
Turn tracking into action
Expense records are useful when they change a plan: reducing a category, protecting a reserve, preparing for a card due date or recognizing that a commitment is larger than expected. Tracking alone is not the goal.