TIL most people don't track their cash spending and it throws their whole budget off

I kept coming up $100 short every month until I started writing down every coffee and gas station snack. How do you guys keep track of cash without it being a huge pain?

3 comments

3 Comments

dylanward2mo ago

That notebook trick, does it actually stop you from buying the muffins?

james5332mo ago

Turns out my wallet was basically a black hole for small bills. I'd get forty bucks out on Monday and by Wednesday just have a sad collection of lint and receipts. Started keeping a little notebook in the car, felt like a detective solving the mystery of the missing twenties. Turns out the culprit was me, buying too many overpriced muffins.

julia6222mo ago

Honestly, that notebook method sounds like a lot of extra work to me. Tbh, just seeing the cash leave my wallet is usually enough of a wake-up call. Dylanward asked if it stops the muffin buys, but for me the real fix was just leaving my cards at home on weekdays. Ngl, tracking every little purchase feels like adding a second job, and the problem is usually pretty obvious once you look at it.