Abstract: An electronic financial accounting system for tracking financial transactions, applying electronic coupons, and facilitating updating of financial records, includes a financial record keeping unit having ports for battery power, hardwire inputting and outputting of data, and infrared transfer of data. Multiple functional keys and a scroll key are used for controlling functions displayed on a display screen. One of the functional keys being an update key wherein stored financial records of a financial record keeping unit are compared to financial records of an input source for identification of financial records recorded in the input unit since a last update of said stored financial records. The unit is designed to interact with other machines such as home computers and cash registers for automatically debiting accounts, tracking and updating financial records, and automatically applying electronic coupons to purchases.