I have been tracking every dime I spend for the last 3 weeks. It has really been an eye-opening experience for me.

Week One: $272.06 This was a tough week because I traveled to Kansas City for a family birthday party, so my gas expenses were higher than normal. And this total also includes $80 for birthday gifts (for sister, niece and BIL).

Week Two: $209.22 Getting a little bit better. But I still overspent for useless stuff totaling about $30 for things like Chick Fil A, breakfast biscuit at Hardee's, a 6 pack of beer and various other snack foods. This is way too much to be tossing away each week.

Week Three: $79.99 Much better. Useless expenses down to $11.75. Most of the weeks spending has gone towards groceries and gas. Also, I had 3 days this week where I didn't spend anything at all. And one day of no driving.

This process has made me much more aware of how much extra money I'm spending here and there. And now that I see how that stuff adds up, I think more before I grab something from the vending machine or grab some fast food.