financial planning

Challenge: Track Your Spending Habits

Today’s Work It Daily Challenge is to track your spending habits. Feel like you never have any extra cash? Not sure where your money goes each month? Most of us wish we could have a little more money in the bank. And for many, the secret to achieving this is quite simple: keep a closer eye on your spending. You might not realize it, but your extra money could be getting sucked into a deep, dark pit of mindless spending. Today, take a look at your accounts and track your spending habits. What are you spending your money on each month? You’ll be surprised at how much little things, like your morning coffee run, add up. You can track your spending habits using an app on your phone, or you can create a spreadsheet on your computer. Or, you can simply print out your account statements to see where you're spending your money. Highlight things like coffee, going out to eat, and other unnecessary expenses in the same color, then add it all up. You might be shocked at the number. Here's an example. If you spend $2 per day on coffee for a whole month, it's costing you $60 per month for your daily caffeine fix - or, $720 per year! Instead, cut down on your coffee treats to once a week, or make your coffee at home (which is significantly cheaper). As you can see, those little things add up. Once you're aware of where you're spending your money, you can adjust your habits and start saving more money. How do you track your spending habits each month? What's secretly sucking the life out of your bank account? Let us know!

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