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I finally saw how bad my own money habits were when I checked my bank app in a Walmart parking lot
Last Thursday I was sitting in my car outside the Walmart on Coliseum Blvd and pulled up my bank app just to check one thing. I saw 9 small charges from that day alone, coffee, a snack, a phone case, stuff I do not even remember buying. I added it up and it was $52 gone in one afternoon without me thinking about it once. What tipped me off was the running total I keep in my head said I had around $300 left for food that week, but the app said $87. I sat there for twenty minutes just staring at my screen feeling sick, because this was not a one time thing, this was just the first time I actually looked. Now I want to know, does anyone else track every little purchase or do you just check the balance and hope?
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grantp141mo ago
That line about the running total in your head saying $300 but the app saying $87 hit home for me. I went through the same thing a few years back and what finally worked was writing down every single purchase for a month, even a pack of gum. Sounds like a pain but after about two weeks it became a habit and I started seeing where the leaks were, mostly small stuff I bought without thinking. I still do a quick check most evenings, just a few minutes, and it keeps me from that sick feeling in the parking lot. You do not need some fancy budget, just knowing where it goes is half the battle.
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