We all know that taking a shopping list with you to the store will help you keep your budget on track, and some of us keep a satisfaction journal to remind us how to stay satisfied in our lives – but what about keeping track of your finances? Have you ever kept a journal or started a spreadsheet to keep your budget in check? Maybe it’s time you should!
Whatyouseeiswhatyouhave
With the advent of Internet banking, it’s very easy to opt out of getting paper statements and just look at our accounts online. While it’s great for the environment, it may make us forgetful of our balances if the bank’s email gets lost in the shuffle. If you write everything down in a journal or keep a spreadsheet on your computer’s desktop, you can visualize where your money’s going and nip those spending habits in the bud. And remember, staying on track means you can reward yourself later on.
Findoutwhereproblemareasare
If you think you’re on budget but find at the end of the month something seems off, keeping a journal of your expenses can help you figure out if you’re too tempted to spend in a particular area (like going out to eat too often, for example). Figuring out totals for where what money went where is key to keeping your budget in line.
Because I’ve become a spreadsheet diva, I usually keep one on my laptop’s desktop as a constant reminder to update it. Of course, it’s color-coded by where I spent money for that month, and has all the formulas in there that calculate how my budget’s doing.
How do you keep track of your budget? LikeusonFacebookandtellus!
