Why it's Important to Track Your Expenses

Have you ever wondered why you usually have little left days before your next paycheck? Have you experienced emptying your ATM just to pay your bills? I was in this predicament a couple of years ago.

I spent on small things, and I didn't realize that I spent most of my salary on things that I didn't need. I didn't mind those expenses because the costs were negligible compared to my salary. I used to buy coffee during the morning right before I go to work. I would dine out twice or thrice a week with my girlfriend. I never realized that every peso I spent splurging on those little things would add up.

When I finally decided that I wanted to invest to prepare for the future. I made a plan on which products to invest in and when I would start investing. When the date came I didn't have to money to open an account. This continued until I finally decided to track my expenses.

I started by recording each peso I spent in a spreadsheet. Whenever I spend something, I record it on my phone and put it on my excel file in the morning. After a couple of weeks of recording my expenses, I began to see where my salary was going. I then made a budget on how much I should spend every week and committed to stick with that budget. After a couple of weeks, I added my credit card expenses, bills and kept a record on all my investments and income.

Knowledge of my expenditures proved to be invaluable in straightening out my finances. Within months I was able to fix my finances. I started investing in mutual funds and UITF. I no longer had to pay interests for my credit card since I was spending within my capacity. I was able to make better decisions on my purchases. I was able to regulate my usual expenditure. I was able to make a budget and plan ahead of time on what bills I needed to pay.

Like most people, I belong to the majority of the population. I have limited resources that I have to manage. It was only when I had a complete picture of my expenses and income that I was able to make sound decisions. I was able to make good strategies on how I will approach my finances and investments.