I've been through the Dave Ramsey classes, and used it before finding MMM.
Our budgets used to have TONS of categories...and it was annoying.
Could you condense now that your habits are under control? I like to take each paycheck, remove all the bill money, savings, and other "big category" funds by making those payments/transfers as soon as the money hits the account, and then simply track my spending from the rest. Now that our spending is pretty much "stable", we already know approximate amounts needed for weekly groceries, fun budgets, dining if applicable, and gas. I keep a set amount as a buffer that doesn't even factor in to the budget (couple hundred) and simply tell ourselves that x amount that is left is all we can spend (above the buffer). Our spending is already low...we have made a habit of lowering it, so now we seldom spend all of the money set aside...and the extra goes into other goals or budgeted expenditures.
For instance, I can estimate that even a spendy grocery week will be no more than 100.00. I know that at some point in the next two weeks I will need a tank of gas (25.00). We like eating out, so we leave 50.00 in the account for small coffees or cones, or for one larger night out, depending on the preference. I keep a misc/pet fund of 100.00 in there, so it all comes to a few hundred that stays there, not counting the "buffer" that we let ourselves forget we have (this is because I don't like to run the account to zero).
All other spending (insurance, giving, bills, savings, debt payments) all get paid/checks written as soon as the paychecks hit, I stick those in the registry, and suddenly I know what we have to spend on the "other" in our life.
Its not perfect or pretty or highly trackable.....but its easy and fits our lifestyle well.
