have you ever stopped to think about EVERYTHING you spend money on? you make a bunch of petty little purchases, a starbucks here, a pack of gum there, a quick dinner out because you don't have the time to cook, and then...BAM! you're broke!
yeah, i've been there. and to be honest, i've been there far more times than i'd like to admit. even recently! hey, i did NOT say i was money perfect! i just said i was going to tell you what it is i do to raise six children on what little money we have.
and believe me, we have a lot more of a little than a little bit of a lot!
whoa! that was kinda confusing!
if you missed the beginning of this series, feel free to go back HERE and start from the beginning.
last week we talked about setting small goals that are a reflection of what is most important to you. learning to set and achieve those goals will hopefully help you to set and achieve small money goals as well.
how did you do? did you accomplish your goals?
i won't waste time pestering you about it. either you did or you didn't. if you didn't then perhaps you either need to set smaller goals, or you just aren't ready for any of this. either way, we are all big boys and girls here and you make your own decisions.if you did accomplish your goals, good for you. continue to set goals for yourself. remember to start small and work your way up to the ones that may take more time and effort.
moving on...
this week is pretty simple. over the next week, write down everything you spend your money on. EVERYTHING! then, using your total income earned, write down a ballpark figure of how much you spend or would like to spend on each one.
if you go over your total income, guess what? i am pretty sure i don't need to tell you what you need to do!
but just so you don't think i am holding back all my secrets...eliminate something or lower your standards.
what does my list look like? it looks a little like this:
yep! that is everything we spend money on.
now it's your turn. grab a pencil and some paper and start writing.
*here's a helpful tip: instead of writing down toilet paper, include it in "groceries" and write that down as one item. or, instead of writing redbox movies and bowling, write "entertainment".
next week, once you have everything written down, i will share some awesome websites with you that will help you get better organized.
now that you have your list of expenses, try to eliminate or make changes to one thing. do you really watch all of those tv channels? do you really need to stop at starbucks every day? can you shorten your vacation by one day or go camping instead of staying in a hotel? do something to put money back in your pocket and then quickly put it in a safe place (a savings account is great).
