I think my bank (a credit union) does offer free d/l, but I don't use it. It seems I'm off by a bit every other month and sometimes double log some big amount twice a year, so I prefer to reconcile the statements manually. I also find aobut four bogus cc charges a year, never very big, but if I was downloadin' the statements, I'd probably never catch them. It does take me about an hour or two to reconcile everything every month, but I run a small manufacturing business. Before the business, it was only like 15 minutes a month, so no big deal.

I used to keep all my reciepts, but not any more. The business expenses I keep in one file per year (the irs can sort through it if they ever decide to) and everything else I only keep until the statement / bill comes through, reconcile, then shred. The only exceptions are big purchases (like a car) which I file with the other associated docs for that item, forever.

One year I itemised every penny I spent. I live in california, and with all the taxes totalled (federal, state, sales, utilities, property, cars, petrol, etc...) it totaled to just under 60%. And we stupid americans like to laugh at swedes for their taxes. We don't even get health care for that amount. That figure might be even higher, as I counted only the petrol tax taken at the pump, but pertol it about 50% taxes before they tax it at the pump.

My accountant suggested that I don't track all the taxes, as it only serves to anger me.