Right now, gather your papery things called receipts and statements: credit cards, bills, loans, anything else that tells you where your greenbacks have gone. Whip out your laptop and go to Google Sheets and create a spreadsheet. Make your column headings MONTHS (include 12 of those things) and your row categories: FOOD, CLOTHING, SHELTER, COLLEGE LOANS, GAS, ELECTRIC, ENTERTAINMENT, TRAVEL, BEAUTY/GROOMING, PET STUFF, CAR, OTHER, TOTAL.
Now go through your paper stuff, one piece of paper at a time and drop the number that represents a cost to you into the appropriate rectangle in your spreadsheet.
Add the rows across (tell the worksheet to do this for you), and see what’s up with your spending habits. Hopefully you won’t be too surprised to see that you spend like a million dollars on liquids (Starbucks and beverages from the local watering hole).
Figure out where you can cut back, and be realistic. You want a certain lifestyle and that is so okay. But you need to start saving, or carving away your debt as quickly as possible.
Next step – Saving – it’s awesome.
Invest Gen Y 