My 2007 spending diary

AndyR_3 · 31 December 2006 at 12:49AM

Hi,

One of my plans for 2007 is to keep a spending diary, and record every penny I earn and spend. Earnings will include everything from my salary to any change I find in the street, or any small profit I make from odd jobs or ebay. Spending will include everything right down to a daily newspaper or a coffee from the vending machine at work. Obviously I want the earnings total to be as high as possible and the spending total to be as low as possible, but I think if I can do this for a year it will provide a real incentive not to waste money, and also at the end of the year I can see just how much money I do waste on "rubbish".

Anyone else ever done this?

lil_me · 31 December 2006 at 12:52AM

Yes, I will be keeping to a spending diary, have done one this year but missed bits. This time I am sticking to it, and doing one for DP too as he's been the biggest waster this year. I did it this year and frightened the s**t out of myself at what I wasted! That was my lightbulb moment.

In fact SlimFast sent me a free diary this morning, as I had registered with them ages ago, so no excuses that's now my 'Slim SPENDING Fast' diary now

(if you look in the freebies board there is a note on how to apply, might have some left)

Snow_White_5 · 31 December 2006 at 1:21AM

AndyR wrote:

Hi,

One of my plans for 2007 is to keep a spending diary, and record every penny I earn and spend. Earnings will include everything from my salary to any change I find in the street, or any small profit I make from odd jobs or ebay. Spending will include everything right down to a daily newspaper or a coffee from the vending machine at work.

I think this is a great idea. I've kept a spending diary before, but kept falling off the wagon, and I never thought to include earnings as well. This would make it seem more positive than simply listing all the money I've waved goodbye to. I'm going to start on Monday as well! :j

Mrs_Sparkle · 31 December 2006 at 1:24AM

That's a really good idea. I'm too lazy to do this- I always forget

But on the few occasions I have kept one I can definitely see where the wastage goes.

Good luck!

AndyR_3 · 31 December 2006 at 1:26AM

I will also keep the diary for ever, as a reminder never to get into debt again!!

Snow_White_5 · 31 December 2006 at 1:38AM

Good luck!

gallygirl · 31 December 2006 at 11:43AM

Andy, I'd suggest you do more than keep the diary - you need to analyse it so you can see if/where you are overspending.

I'd suggest you go through it weekly with highlighter pens:
Green - necessary, and cheapest possible
Orange - needed, but not cheapest (e.g. buying milk from garage, or branded pain killers intead of shops own)
Red - oops!!! Starbucks, magazines, sandwiches etc.

The orange is the most useful as, with a bit of organisation, you can buy exactly the same stuff but for less.

Good luck!

pollyanna24 · 31 December 2006 at 11:47AM

I've been doing this since March much to the merriment of bf.

But I've found it really helps. So far it hasn't helped curb what I spend, but hoping the New Year will make me see sense.

We give ourselves £400 each out of our wages (rest goes on mortgage, bills, debt repayment and savings (this one hasn't happened so far)).

I've noticed that out of this £400, I manage to spend £100 on alcohol every month. Ridiculous!!! Gona stop this. I do a day by day of what I spend, then a breakdown which shows how much I have spent on each thing.

My 2007 spending diary

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