We have now made it to Part 4.  This is when we can really start to see how we spend and track that information.  This will enable us to start working on the habits we have and help us make the decisions we need to make to adjust what we do every day, but in realistic small bits.

Now that we have our initial budget, we need to pay for these expenses we expect to have.  Most importantly we need to track them as well.  I like to use 2 different payment accounts to manage and track how my spending progresses throughout the week and month.  By using 2 different payment accounts I can focus one to easily track my required expenses and the other to track my discretionary spending.  Let’s see how those break down.

Part 2 of this series is extending part 1, but adding in a few more parameters to your financial picture, then tweaking them for an initial target.  Remember there are no right or wrong answers right now.  This is all about getting a starting point and building a picture where you can focus on 1 piece at a time.

Welcome to the first posting in this blog series.  Like I have shared in the background, I previously struggled with finances.  This is a step-by-step process in how I did a review of my income and expenses, and I was able to get a handle on my spending, pay off debt, and feel comfortable with my personal finances.