Week 18
How much money do we spend on a monthly basis that could besavedwithout changing our lifestyle at all? I firmly believe that most of us could save a significant amount simply by improved planning, organization, and eliminating wasteful expenditures.
Many of us eat out too much because we fail to plan meals (which incidentally doesn't help with our health either!). Other people are spending too much on utilities, or spending too much on treats at the grocery store.
Usually, when people review their bank accounts or credit card purchases for the previous month they will see expenditures that would be deemed wasteful. Consider how much money you could be saving over the course of year and how this extra financial security would benefit your life.
Many of us eat out too much because we fail to plan meals (which incidentally doesn't help with our health either!). Other people are spending too much on utilities, or spending too much on treats at the grocery store.
Usually, when people review their bank accounts or credit card purchases for the previous month they will see expenditures that would be deemed wasteful. Consider how much money you could be saving over the course of year and how this extra financial security would benefit your life.
To Do List
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O - Print out your Money Management page and place it in your organizer.
O - Print out an account statement for the last 30 days from your checking account and/or credit cards. (Include any accounts that you use on a regular basis for spending). O - Use a highlighter to highlight expenses that could easily be avoided or reduced. O - Add up all the items highlighted then multiply by 12. Your answer should give you a rough estimate of how much money you could use towards retirement or your financial goals every year. |
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Next week you are going to create a spending plan. Since you are looking over your finances this week, we have included your Spending Plan Outline, just in case you would like to get a head start on next week. We have included an Excel version if you are proficient in Excel or a PDF version if you are not.
(The PDF version has an example page to follow)
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Extra Credit
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O - Keep a notebook with you for the next week. Write down everything you spend using cash. Don't even think about skipping the Pepsi you bought to get you through the afternoon. EVERY PENNY! Notice how much more you could be saving!!!
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