Track your expenses on the go

Have you ever struggled to figure out if a small piece of paper that went through the wash was an important business receipt — or just a piece of lint? For most people, keeping track of their expenses is about as much fun as an all-day staff meeting. But a Windows Mobile powered device and expense-tracking software can make the chore much easier.

There are several expense trackers for Pocket PC and Pocket PC Phone Edition devices. Pocket PCs are small handheld computers that easily share data with your personal computer. Some Pocket PCs also double as a mobile phone.

Since the devices are so small, you can carry them with you wherever you go. That's the benefit for tracking expenses. You can enter your expenses as you incur them, then send the data to your PC to analyze or generate expense reports. Here are some programs that I have found to work well.

• TimeTTracker MX not only keeps track of your money — it keeps track of your time. Start the built-in timer when you start working on a particular task; stop it when you're finished. It figures out how much time you spent on it and calculates how much to bill the client. It saves your data as a Microsoft Access database by default, allowing for detailed analysis. Other editions can export your data to Microsoft Excel, Microsoft Money, or several other programs.
• Expense Plus makes sure you get reimbursed. It automatically generates expense reports for you whenever you sync your Pocket PC to your desktop computer. Each time you connect your mobile device, it checks to see if you've entered new expenses. If you have, it will automatically generate the appropriate reports in Microsoft Excel.
• EZ-Expense is a fully-customizable expense tracker. Each type of expense has its own data entry form, making sure that you enter all the information you need and saving you the bother of skipping over fields that aren't appropriate. It also interacts well with Outlook, a big help if you regularly entertain clients or do business lunches.
• Expense Organizer has a novel user interface that nearly eliminates the need for a stylus, a pen-like instrument used to draw on the Pocket PC's touch-sensitive screen. It uses large on-screen buttons to represent different types of expenses and to enter costs — buttons so large you can simply tap them with your thumb.

By entering expenses as you go, you save yourself the hassle of trying to re-trace your steps later. That buys you more time for work you enjoy — or simply more spare time for yourself.

— Suzanne Ross