Strict Spending
You do not have to be so strict that you forget to have fun. Learning how to spend in a manner that won’t end you back in debt and owing thousands to credit card companies is not terribly hard, nor an exhausting feat.
Try a one month trial budget. You can do that can’t you? Just one month! Use your spreadsheet program, or find a printable budgeting sheet online, to track your expenses. This is the easiest part. The hard part is accepting that you actually spend THAT much on the other silly stuff. There are hundreds of free printable budget worksheets online, so just type it into a search engine and start clicking. You’ll be amazed at the information you will find. As long as you stick to the budget you will be convinced to change your habits by month’s end.
It would be a good idea for you to also check over the household bill summaries to make sure you are doing what you can to preserve your wallet. Pull out your latest utility, phone, and insurance bills. Check to see if you are paying too much for promotions or coverage that you may not truly need. Review the insurance policies to make sure you are getting what you are paying for. You may want to take ten minutes to gather a quote from another company. Closely examine your water or electric bills for mistakes or overages. The phone company wants you to pay for what you do not need, but you are smarter than that, right? Some representatives are less than honorable and can stick you with charges you did not ask for.