tractor
Senior Member
Joined: Jan 4, 2011 15:19:30 GMT -5
Posts: 3,499
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Post by tractor on Jan 17, 2024 20:07:54 GMT -5
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Sunnyday
Well-Known Member
Joined: Aug 3, 2013 0:36:39 GMT -5
Posts: 1,426
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Post by Sunnyday on Jan 17, 2024 21:24:39 GMT -5
When I was broke (not necessarily your situation) and my confidence in my ability to manage money was shot, keeping track of where my money was going was absolutely crucial. It can take a few months to figure out how much money you are spending on needs and what is left over. I'm impressed that you have broken down three months of outgoes already. That's a fabulous start.
Another thing that I found helpful was simply keeping a list of all the things that I wanted that would require money. Somehow simply putting all of those things on a list was calming. I threw everything on that list. A decent EF was there (again, not necessarily your situation). Windshield wipers (not you, again) were there. Even Girl Scout cookies and a pot of orange violas that I wanted but wasn't sure if I deserved went on the list. When I obtained an item or simply no longer wanted it, I changed the font to strike-through but left it on the list. I continually rearranged items on the list into needs and wants. Doing this probably slowed down my impulse spending a bit and helped me refine my budget but mostly it just calmed my mind. Once something was on the list, I did not need to fear forgetting about it.
Thanks, I totally agree! This has been a game changer for me. I have a Google spreadsheet that I'm now checking all the time. The last 3 months of expenses were atypical. So I'm going to have to track for much longer to know what my new normal is. I'm assigning every dollar a job. I even downloaded the Google sheet app on my phone so I can check how much money I can spend in that month when I'm out and about. It takes the anxiety out of everything. Example, I had no food in the house, and I've just been eating microwavable popcorn and random bit and pieces in the fridge. (My grocery won't get delivered until Friday.... ) I was hungry and stressed about how much I've been spending so much on take out, and then I looked on my budget for eating out, and I saw that I had only spent 30 out of the 200 in that category. So I ordered sushi. I'm so full and happy. It was so good! Having a budget is so freeing. Eating without guilt feels so good! |
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