My buddy told me my budget was a mess and he was totally right

I was showing him my monthly spending in a spreadsheet last month and he pointed out I had over $400 just listed as 'other stuff'. He said if I can't name it, I can't control it, and that hit home. So I started tracking every single dollar for two weeks, even the $3 coffee runs. I found out I was spending almost $200 a month on random snacks and apps I forgot about. I cut that stuff out and put the money straight into my savings. Has anyone else done a deep dive on their spending and been shocked by what they found?

3 comments

3 Comments

sarah_bennett9325d ago

Yeah that "if you can't name it, you can't control it" line is so true. I used to think my little buys didn't matter, but tracking it all was a real eye opener for me too.

kaifox25d ago

Totally get what you mean about the small buys. What was the one thing you tracked that actually surprised you the most? For me, it was realizing how much I was spending on drive-thru coffee without even noticing.

gibson.holly24d ago

Used to think tracking every little thing was a waste of time. Figured a few bucks here and there didn't matter. Did the same thing as you for a month and found out I was dropping over a hundred a month just on parking meters and vending machines. Now that cash goes straight to my truck payment instead.