No matter how much or how little you make, you need a budget. When you know where your money goes, you wind up with more of it for the stuff you really want -- you'll know when to say "no" to dining out so you can say "yes" to a new handbag.

Fortunately, making that budget doesn't have to be an ordeal. Here are three ways your computer can keep you in the money.

1. The Computer Program You Already Have
What it is: An office-suite tool like Excel or Google Docs
Who it's good for: Computer-savvy chicks who will actually enter their expenses and income
How it works: Use it to make a simple spreadsheet. In one column, chart out how much you need to live each month: rent; food (I recommend dividing this into groceries and dining out); transportation; bills (phone, Internet, electricity, water, etc.); loan payments; shopping (be frugal, these are the essentials, remember?); entertainment (you need to have some fun, woman); and savings (yes, you can afford it).

Click here to read more about spreadsheets and two other budget-minders.




In another column, compare it to your monthly income, and if the two don't jibe, adjust as needed. Set a cap for each category, and continually input a running list of how much you actually spend in each. This way, you'll know where your money goes, where you need to cut back, and where you might be able to free up some money for other things.

2. The Specialized Computer Program
What it is: Software like Quicken or MS Money
Who it's good for: Girls whose finances go beyond the standard checking and savings accounts and a few credit cards, or if you're going to have a complicated tax return (say if you're self-employed)
How it works: These programs track all your transactions in one place, allowing you to categorize your purchases and pay your bills. All your information is stored on your computer -- not on the Web (though you will access the Web to get to your accounts).

The downside? You're looking at about $50. Quicken offers an online-only product for $2.99 a month. That's a good option if you want to be able to deal with your bills and budgets from anywhere in a more specialized tool than, say, a Yahoo! shared document.

3. The Do-It-All Web Site
What is it: A budgeting site like Mint.com
Who it's good for: People who are comfortable with their financial deets being online
How it works: Just create a free account, link it to your banks, loans and credit cards, and it basically acts like your accountant. The site notes your transactions (debits, ATM withdrawals, store returns, payments, everything), organizes them into categories (which you can re-tag if need be), and tells you instantly how much you're spending in any one category or at any one store or in any one week. It also works if you use cash, though you have to manually enter each purchase.

If you're a visual person (or, in some cases, a masochist), you can create graphs illustrating your spending habits -- think Google Trends for your budget. Mint lets you build a budget, then sends e-mails or texts when bills are due, when you're close to overspending, or when they spot a way a for you to save cash. Although using the site was a little scary at first (I spent how much on clothes last month?!) Mint.com has been a godsend and changed the way I spend.

These are just a few options -- there are countless other ways to budget. (Like The Consumerist's totally computer-free "Envelope System.")

Tell us! What system have you found works for you? What doesn't?

Erin Scottberg is Lemondrop's consumer adviser. Got a question? Leave it in the comments, and she may answer it in a future column.