Watching My Pockets

In addition to losing weight, another area of my life that could use some improvement is my spending. Stacy and I both noticed that we have not been saving as much as we could be, and we realized that we need to start paying more attention to how we spend money ASAP. It is so easy to get into the practice of eating out, and spending money mindlessly, but in this economy it is really important to pay attention to how you spend money and see where you can cut back.

So Stacy and I are attempting to start a "Money Diet." I found a great article that outlines how to make an appropriate budget. I found that by actually viewing my bank statement I was really able to see where I spend my money. Making a budget does not mean that you can't still enjoy some of your favorite things; by making an attainable budget you can still include some of the expenses that are a "must- have."

I know that I definitely need to make a budget for myself and more importantly stick to it. One of my major problems is differentiating between wants and needs. Most of the time I tell myself that I need something, when in reality its not a matter of life or death. If you need to start paying more attention to how you are spending money I would suggest using Mint, which is a free personal finance software program. Stacy told me about it, and it is definitely a useful tool. I will keep you guys updated on my "Money Diet." Wish me Luck!