Money Project: Track Every Penny

I’ll be the first to admit I’ve never been a fan of stringent budgeting. I’ve always worried that following every cent that goes in and out of your accounts would lead to a certain amount of personal finance burnout. Think about it. If you go on a stupidly strict diet, and you’re hungry and miserable half the time…what happens? Eventually your will to push on like that degrades, and you’ll fall back into old habits even harder than before.

However, I’ve been giving it some thought and I’m fairly certain I can keep track of every penny that comes in and out of my accounts with relative ease. I think it’ll be fun to see where the cracks in my monthly budget start causing leaks. It’ll also help me more closely monitor my spending habits and make changes if necessary. I’ll provide updates as we go along, especially considering any surprises in spending that my appear.