What’s one thing you didn’t know about your finances until you actually saw the data in Tiller?
Breaking down my paycheck into itemized deductions was an eye-opening experience. When mandatory contributions like Medicare and Social Security are grouped with pensions and 401(k)/403(b) savings, the total percentage of earnings directed toward the future is substantial. It really highlighted how much of our income is allocated before we even touch the rest.
How much money I could actually save by just properly budgeting. I have always know the basics, but being intentional and actually looking at the information, not just oh this looks fine, really made a huge difference.
The power of compound interest, especially when you can see your 401k fall and rise higher than it started based on market swings. I knew the concept, but it hits a little harder when it’s your own money!
It also helped me see times my credit card expired. I had an automatic donation stop. I didn’t think about updating my credit card info with them since it had been on auto pilot for so long and thought it was strange when it was missing from my sheet for a couple months. (Kind of silly, but it was still a win for data tracking.)