Have you ever kept a detailed spending journal?

by Marcus Clark Posted 2012/07/15 06:26:48

Related Topics: Money, Credit, Cash, Spending, Habits, Penny, Results, Time

5 votes
Read all 4 opinions
View Results and Demographics + View Demographics

		Yes, and I made improvements in my spending
		Yes, but I ignored the results
		No, but I'm going to try it
		No, I don't want to know where my money is going
		No, I've got more money than I know what to do with
		I'm doing that now
		Other (comments welcome)

Loading Demographics... Click an icon to see demographic results Display unknown and private
	Yes, and I made improvements in my spending	4 votes	80%
	Yes, but I ignored the results	1 vote	20%
	No, but I'm going to try it	0 votes	0%
	No, I don't want to know where my money is going	0 votes	0%
	No, I've got more money than I know what to do with	0 votes	0%
	I'm doing that now	0 votes	0%
	Other (comments welcome)	0 votes	0%

I kept a journal of all my spending down to the penny for about 3 months. I carried a small notepad and wrote down every time I spent (or gave away) any money, whether cash, check or credit. Each week, I would total how much went for types of spending. I also totaled for each month and then the end of the 3 months. It was quite revealing what my petty cash spending habits were.

If you haven't done this, I would recommend you try it for at least 3 months.

Add a comment above

Quasineutrality 2012/07/15 06:35:02

Yes, and I made improvements in my spending

+1
Wells Fargo does it for me

reply
Marcus ... to Quasine... 2012/07/15 06:41:36

I like this kind of bank report. (I think most if not all banks do this now.) However...
What about cash out of pocket? Do you ever spend cash? Do you ever buy from a vending machine?

reply
Quasine... to Marcus ... 2012/07/15 06:49:04 (edited)

+1
no cash, i get 1% back on my credit card with wells fargo, so i use that for everything. the cool thing about this report it shows my bank account, debit and credit card usage all together. The vending machines at work take credit cards.

reply
Marcus Clark 2012/07/15 06:28:22

Yes, and I made improvements in my spending

+1
This is a great way to get a handle on your petty cash spending. (vending machines, fast food, "nickel and dime stuff")

reply