Budget Tracker

One tip that I have read about when setting out on setting up a budget is to track your expenses for about a month. This way, you will be able to see where your money has been spent, how much you have spent and start getting an idea on where you can cut back. Since I get paid twice a month, I thought this would be pretty easy to do.

So far, I have began to realize where I could cut some little expenses. It has been an eye opener to see where I have spent money for the past almost two weeks. I am going to try and see where some expenses are bought and see if I can save a little just to help offset the expense. I also need to see where it would be a good idea to buy items to keep at home or at the office. For example, I have not kicked the soda habit. I will stop in the mornings to get a soda before work. That is an expense that I should think about. Maybe buy a multi-pack of soda to keep in the office so that I do not have to stop every morning and slowly drain my bank account. I have been at this for about two weeks and already that sounds like a better idea. I wonder where I can cut little things out so that I can save money?

Sometimes I think that the soda idea and other ideas should be no-brainers. I mean, I should have had that idea from the start right?! Drink more water and I will not have to buy sodas. That is another no-brainer huh? Yep, some of these no-brainers are so simple that I never really sat down and thought about them. It is like I thought that I would think about it later. That has been a great thing to say for most things - "I'll think about it later." Well, I think I have to think about this now so I do not have a slow leak in my account over some simple things.

I have been trying hard to just spend like I normally do though. I have been not trying to do anything different so I can get a good picture where I spend my money. It has been hard to try as I have been thinking that I need to save money, I need to do little things to keep more of my money with me, etc. I also need to get a true and accurate picture of where the money went. So, I have been using a spreadsheat program to track where and when I spent money. Here is hoping this is a good starting point!!

Jennifer