Money Challenge: Track Your Spending For One Week [+ FREE SPENDING TRACKER PRINTABLE]
Let’s get real for a second. The main reason I started getting my financial crap together was because I was sick and tired of feeling like I didn’t have enough money to do all the things I really wanted to do.
(Ya know, really fun things like that dinner out my friends, that spontaneous trip to Seattle, and those last-minute tickets to see Ed Sheeran.)
I was ready to buy things without regret. To not sweat about little purchases because I knew I had enough money in the bank to cover them. To be out with family and say, “Don’t worry about it. I got the tab.” because it’s in my nature to spoil the ones I love.
So, I made the decision one night back in 2015 that enough was enough. I was going to start getting on track financially.
But there was one major problem — I had zero ideas where to start. I was drowning in a sea of information with no real plan for how to dig myself out of the hole I was in.
That’s when I decided I’d focus on one small thing at a time. For me, that first “small thing” was tracking my expenses in a spreadsheet.
Truthfully, I had absolutely no idea how much money I was spending each month. So, I thought a 30-day expense tracking challenge would be the ticket to uncovering some truths about my money habits.
And boy, did it deliver!
Tracking My Spending Uncovered A Lot Of Truth About Where My Money Was Going
If you would’ve asked me before this challenge how much I spent at TJ Maxx and Hobby Lobby each month, I woulda told you about $20. The reality? I was spending more like $200! And news flash — I didn’t even like half the crap I was buying.
But TJ Maxx and Hobby Lobby were a part of my routine. They were both in a plaza near the college I attended so I’d pop in when a class let out early and I needed to kill time. I’d stop by when I was stressed about exams and wanted to blow off steam. Heck, I’d even go in when I was hungry so I could grab a fancy-schmancy snack like Himalayan sea salt potato chips fried in avocado oil.
I thought these were harmless purchases. (What’s $20 here and $20 there?) But these were adding up to thousands of dollars a year and I didn’t even know it.
Tracking my spending was the best thing I ever did for my finances. It revealed a lot of ugly truths I knew deep down but was too afraid to confront face-to-face. But once I confronted my spending, the real magic started to happen.
Slowly but surely, I was able to start using my money for more of the things that brought me joy + less of the things that didn’t. It was liberating. It was magical.
I want you to feel that same magic. ✨
Will you take this challenge with me?
How It Works
I created this free spending tracker printable to help you track your purchases for the week. Here’s how it works.
- PRINT THIS WORKBOOK (Keep it in your purse or pocket — somewhere you can easily access it every day)
- TRACK YOUR SPENDING EVERY DAY FOR ONE WEEK (I recommend jotting down purchases as soon as you make them or at the end of each day. But don’t wait longer than that! You’ll likely forget.)
- ANSWER THE REFLECTION QUESTIONS AT THE END OF THE WEEK (Don’t skip this part!! It’s key to uncovering your think-less spending + putting a stop to it once and for all.)
Are you ready to curb impulse shopping + start spending more mindfully?
Why Should You Do An Expense-Tracking Money Challenge?
The only way to get a handle on your finances is to come face-to-face with your spending. I know so many people who don’t want to track their spending because they’re afraid of what they might find.
They know they’ve dug a hole they can’t get out of so they’re blissfully staying put instead of picking up an ax and climbing their way out.
Staying blissfully ignorant about your spending is NOT the answer. The sooner you come face-to-face with your spending, the sooner you take back control of your life. The sooner you start having peace of mind + more money in your bank account to do the things you love.
You Ready To Have More Money At The End Of The Month?
This challenge is perfect for you if:
✅You’re sick of wondering where all your money goes every month
✅You’re tired of not being able to afford what you want
✅You feel like you never have enough money to do the things you want
✅You’re ready to curb think-less spending + start buying more mindfully
And if you’re thinking, “But I don’t think I want to track every single purchase I make… I’m afraid of what I might find.” Then this challenge is especially for you.
Ignorance is bliss. The sooner you peel back the layers on your spending + get a handle on it, the sooner you can start making your money work for you (not against you).
What Do You Have To Lose?
Are you sick of feeling like this? 👇
❌You don’t know where all your money goes each month.
❌Your house is full of crap you don’t even really care about or plan on using.
❌You feel stuck in this endless cycle of never having enough money to do what you want.
Then I plead with you… nay, I beg you… to take this spending challenge.
Because here’s the truth — If you don’t control your money, your money will control you. It doesn’t matter if you make $2,000 a month or $10,000 a month. If you can’t manage the small stuff, you’ll likely make the same mistakes when your income increases.
Only YOU have the power to start aligning your purchases with your priorities. Only YOU have the power to rewrite history and build a better future for yourself.
That’s why I’m challenging you to track your spending for ONE week. That’s it. Just write down every purchase you make for seven days and see what happens.
I’m not asking you to do it for an entire month or the rest of your life. Just seven days. What do you have to lose?
Originally published at https://getontrackfinancially.com on April 27, 2021.
