Trimming the Fat

"Beware the small expenses" is a phrase I always knew but never really took to heart.  I never really had any qualms dropping a few dollars here or there on a snack, bit of convenience or even something that would entertain me for a few seconds (Thankfully, Laura understands she can throw out most of the stuff animals I win her from claw machines), but I never realized just how much I was truly spending until I started tracking my expenses.

Laura often said I should pack my lunch for work because it would save me a fortune.  I knew she was right, but taking a few minutes out of my evening or spending a few extra dollars at the grocery store was just enough for me to avoid it.  Had I really sat down to do the math, I would have made more use out of our last trip to the grocery store.

We looked at a few expense tracking apps to make the process easier.  We had a laughable experience with mint.com telling Laura she spent 7 grand on United Airlines which, after some research, turned out to be 7 dollars at United Dairy Farmers.  My sister recommended Toshl, and it's worked out pretty good.  However, what Toshl is finding has been a real eye opener.

I always thought I spent a little over 20 dollars throughout the week on lunch.  I'm not a big eater and usually get fairly cheap meals.  WRONG.  It's Tuesday, and I've already spent over 20 dollars on food alone.  Between pop, tornados from Circle K and a meal from Wendy's, I've spent in two days what I thought I spent in a week.  If this trend continues, that's 50 dollars a week, or 200 dollars a month!

I'm a little ashamed to admit that Laura and I were unassuming spendthrifts.  An extra few dollars here or there and we never batted an eye.  Buying a little something extra, wasting money on something we won't use, wear, eat, finish, the list is shockingly long.  

Hopefully, by looking into what we need, don't need and can sell, we'll get a good foothold on scaling out this pit.