Understanding how individuals monitor their expenses is crucial for promoting financial goal achievement and well-being. However, research on expense-tracking is primarily confined to mental budgeting literature, with limited empirical evidence on tracking patterns. This paper combines subjective behavioral data from a self-designed survey with objective behavioral data from the administrative-level user data from a Chinese financial app to examine the motivations, methods, and timing of expense-tracking practices and their impact on financial outcomes. Its findings reveal how people engage in expense-tracking behavior and carry some policy implications for current financial education.

Accepted Oral Presentation