Just hit 500 days in a row tracking every dollar I earn and spend

I started back in the slow season of 2022 when I had nothing else to do, and now I can see exactly where my money goes across 6 different income streams. Wasn't aiming for that number, just kept at it out of boredom when work was dead. Has anyone else picked up a tracking habit during a dry spell that stuck around way longer than expected?

3 comments

3 Comments

oliviabutler13d ago

Same thing happened to me with meal planning during a slow winter. Now I can't stop, it's like a game seeing how much I can save each week.

the_faith13d ago

Oh come on, I gotta push back here. Meal planning drives me absolutely nuts. I tried it for two weeks last year and ended up throwing out half the veggies because I got bored eating the same stuff by Thursday. Plus my grocery store always has random markdowns on meat and produce that I'd miss if I stuck to a rigid list. I saved way more just buying whatever's on clearance and figuring out meals on the fly. And honestly, the time I spent sitting down mapping out breakfasts, lunches, and dinners felt like homework. I'd rather pay a little extra and keep my sanity than turn dinner into a spreadsheet chore.

wyattramirez13d ago

Well shoot, I actually went through the exact same thing. Started meal planning during a slow January and now it's just how I operate. @oliviabutler is right, it does turn into a game. I'd tell the_faith to try doing it more loosely - I plan around what's on sale that week, not some fixed menu. That way you still grab the clearance meat and just build meals around it. Also, I keep a little list on my phone of five or six meals that use the same base ingredients, so nothing goes bad by Thursday.