Can't work out where the $ leak is (part vent)

[Rach75]

I know this will sound painful but when we first got together my husband and I we catergorised everything in a notebook

even if it was a 50c freddo frog, every cent was written down on the day we spent it, then at the end of the week we added up what we spent food, bills etc

then end of month worked out how much we were spending versu how much was comign in, its a real eye opener...we also do it now if we go on extended holidays...so we can keep track of how much we have spent etc

after a few months you will see where those leaks are coming from

[LionsandBears]

I hate doing the writing everything down, but mostly because then I have to be accountable for all the dribs and drabs. It does work though.

The other place we lose $$ is Bunnings atm Things like replacing lightbulbs, buying mulch etc. It really adds up. Also we've bought a couple of items that we never budgeted for, like a lawnmower. Repairs, petrol going up, increased utility bills all eat up the extra cash.

We now have a few bank accounts (all free) to separate various things. With the joint accounts, we have 1 for day to day transactions. If the cash runs out we can't spend any more. We also have an account for direct debits to come out of - all the rent, bills etc come out of that. Our phone, electricity and gas is a set amount each month so there's no surprises. We've stoppped using the credit card and once it's paid off we're closing it.

A big tip is the first thing you do is put $ into saving (10% recommended) and work your expenses in with what's left over.