How do you track and manage your finances?

I feel like I need control over all of the details and a clear understanding of where my money is going. Where do I even start?

I haven’t managed my finances properly in years ever since I started working. I’ve just been buying whatever I want, thinking it’s not much in the moment—but all those little random purchases add up. Before I know it, I’ve spent way too much on Amazon, lol.

Last year, I tried to tackle it one or two nights and spent some time pulling up full transaction reports from several credit cards and bank accounts covering the past year. I tried to go through that data, wanting to sort transactions by category (needs, wants, specific types of purchases.) It was overwhelming and I gave up shortly after.

I still want to use credit cards because I like earning 1-5% cashback, and I always pay them off on time. But managing all this feels so complicated.

What could I do to simplify things? Should I just stick to pen and paper, or is there a better system that works for us?