#3 Week Challenge

Track it!

Okay, it's Saturday morning and you need "items" for the "house". You make a trip to Starbucks just to get you going, well your teenage daughter is in the car with you and would like something also. This stop cost you about $12.00. Then you proceed to Wal-Mart for toothpaste, deodorant and paper towels. After 1 hour and $115.00 dollars later you emerged from Wal-Mart with 5 bags of "items" for the "house". This includes your new color of nail polish, a new pedicure set and a new set of kitchen towels just to name a few. You then stop and get gas, and make the weekly trip to your favorite grocery store. Of course you are now hungry and began to shop(#1 mistake). You have made up in your mind that you will only spend $75.00 this week, because you have almost everything at the house. After 1 hour and $135.10 later you come out of "Winco" with frozen pizzas, animal crackers, puzzles and other things that you know you did not need! Does this sound familiar to anyone but me?

We all know the big ticket items in our life, such as your mortgage payment, car insurance and other monthly items. However, are you aware of all of the small items that we spend? These are items in which when we plan our budget, we fail to make an account. However, this unaccounted spending can cost you up to $200.00 or so OVER your budget on a monthly basis.

So your challenge is to track ALL of your spending. So track EVERYTHING you spend for the next few weeks. You will be surprised as to how much money you spend on unnecessary items.

Also, look for "trends" in spending. Do you spend more in the grocery store when you are hungry(like most people)? When you are angry, do you spend more? Are you an emotional spender? Be honest with yourself.

After you track, please post about your spending habits.

Have a Great Week.

FYI: I just want to make it clear, it is okay to purchase "special" items(after the fast of course), but you need to plan for these purchases and not buy them on impulse.