Until a few years ago, I never realised how much my family was blowing every month on things we didn’t need or want.

We always have enough, why do I need to know where every pound goes?įor most of my adult life I agreed.

When I point this out to my friends, the usual excuses roll out: So why then don’t we do it in our personal lives? Which is more important? You wouldn’t run a business without someone looking at the books like this. This person is called the finance director – an important support to the CEO. Yet most of those same people works for organisations with someone tracking all the money coming in and all the money going out. It’s funny, but among my friends I know no one who tracks their income and spending like me. I bet he doesn’t do it anymore? Why not budget? Sounds good, but he retired when he was just 47. Sure we may have read Robert Kiyosaki’s Rich Dad Poor Dad and imbibed the “take good care of every penny coming in going out of your pocket” mantra. What we typically don’t do is make like an accountant, crack open a spreadsheet, and track our expenditure. Perhaps we read, phone a friend, scan a blog post, or pick up a podcast. Instead we pass the time on social media and watching boxed sets.Įven if we do summon the strength to do something self-improving, we choose our challenges carefully.

When we reach the sanctuary of our homes after a tough day at the office, we don’t want to be adding to them. They range from mild annoyances to activities that send shivers down our spine. In modern life there is a long list of things that we simply do not like.

Giving a staff member a ‘could try harder’ in their annual appraisal. That strange repetitive farty-clicking sound your nine-year-old makes in the recesses of his mouth. Having already written several articles for us since publishing his debut, RESET, he’s now back to tackle UK budgeting tool Money Dashboard – one of his nine underrated tools for seekers of financial independence. David Sawyer is allegedly a guest poster at Monevator, but he seems to have gotten hold of the front door keys.

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