Sometimes when we need to cut even more, the only solution is to make ourselves accountable, to pay attention, to have our spending put right smack in front of our face. It is when we ignore our spending, even our small stuff, that things can get out of hand.
One of the ways to do this is to get a notebook and keep track of daily spending, whatever it is. Spent $198.57 at the grocery store, write it down. $4.74 on a latte? It goes in the book. $12 at the library book sale? Yup. $1 for mints on the way to an important meeting? Get that notebook out.
While writing everything down seems petty, and let us face it, a pain in the neck, it is effective. You can see, right in black and white, the things that you choose to spend your money on each day. When you review the list, and add up the costs, you may be able to come to the conclusion that some of the items you purchased weren’t necessary or didn’t give you enough pleasure or worth for the money. Once a week, you can do a review so you know where you can cut in your daily spending.
Writing all of your purchases down in a notebook has another positive effect. Since it is such a pain to do (and can be embarrassing in some situations) you may be conditioned not to do the spending at all. Is going all the way to your car to get the notebook worth the price of a spontaneous purchase?
It is for the above reason that I suggest that you get a big notebook that is inconvenient, rather than a small one that fits in your purchase. Find one that is a garish color and have a three-year old decorate it.