I’m a computer geek, but I refuse to use the computer to keep my finances in order. The problem with computers is that they are too efficient.

I’ve tried Quicken and other financial software, but they do such a great job of updating and organizing my finances that it’s easy to get lazy and stop thinking about where the money is going. And my family can’t afford for me to get lazy with our money management.

In my hyper-active lifestyle, I use paper files as a speed bump. Entering all of our expenses into a simple paper budget (or entering all our appointments into one master calendar) makes me slow down just enough that I actually think where our money (and time) is going.

Some things need a little extra attention.