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I started with zero-based budgeting via YNAB ages ago when ynab was a local-only app. Over time though I've adjusted and focus on tracking my expenses rather than budgeting. I've found that for me, budgeting is hard to stick to because I can never predict well enough. Ynab helped back when I used it but even then I always had a "rollover" fund I had to steal from almost arbitrarily to make things balanced.
I do keep a rough spreadsheet budget of my fixed expenses though (rent, internet, phone, electricity, etc) that I use to understand how much of my money is "locked-in" and what is discretionary.
For tracking, I have a spreadsheet I input all my expenses into every month or two that I use to see how Ive been spending my money, and I use that to decide if I'm happy with where I am.