Little things add up…

Without pulling out a wad of cash you can swipe, beep, send and spend money just like that. Spending has never been so easy. This progression towards a cashless society is convenient but at the same time, has become harder to track.

Unlike dollar notes in your wallet, it’s much harder to see where your money goes especially if you’re not in the habit of checking your bank or card balance. This can take you into dangerous territory if it goes out of control. Every swipe of a card or click of a Check Out button adds up…

Of course, you won’t necessarily be splurging, you might just be doing some online grocery shopping. But not knowing where your money goes can be a headache in the making. Particularly when an urgent and unexpected expense comes up. Wouldn’t that be an unpleasant surprise?

I think you can see that I’m talking about money management. I get it, finances can be tough to manage and hard to get your head around. And I know there are a lot of people out there that take a hands-off out of sight, out of mind approach. But it doesn’t have to be a big thing. You can start with counting how many coffees you buy a week. If you buy a $5 coffee every morning, you’re spending $35 a week. If you buy lunch on a weekday, that’s $15. Just noting where and when you spend your money can be a good indicator for yourself on things you may want to cut back on.

Alternatively, look at writing a grocery list – keeping track of the items you need to purchase and sticking to them will guarantee that you save a few dollars here and there too. And these will add up before you know it!

Another easy fix is checking on your subscription services. Do you really need access to Netflix, Stan, Amazon Prime AND Disney+? Or do you mainly just use one? Do you have a gym membership you no longer use? Do a Marie Kondo of your subscription services or memberships and it could save you hundreds every year as well.

As you can see, it’s the little things that add up. And just by taking a quick look at where your money goes, you’ve taken a step towards budgeting! It doesn’t have to be complicated. I use an Excel sheet to track where my money goes and how much I spend. I do it with clients too and it’s simple, customisable and effective. (It’s also free.) You can even set it up on Google Sheets or through your OneDrive to be able to access and update it on the go!

This isn’t the only way of course. There are countless other tools and apps out there that you can buy that might do the same thing, but they will only work if you’re making an effort to look at what they’re telling you. Otherwise, it might end up as just another unused subscription, regardless of how automated it may seem.

Budgeting doesn’t have to be technically challenging and have all the bells and whistles that an app may throw your way. Even if it’s just starting small, that’s still much better than not starting at all