Ever wonder where your money disappears to by the end of the month?
You’ve got a decent income. You’re not out here buying Rolexes every week. But somehow… things still feel tight. That fuzzy black cloud of “Shouldn’t I be doing better than this?” hangs around.
If this sounds familiar, you’re not alone — especially if you’re a busy professional with a family, a mortgage, and a million competing priorities.
And here’s the truth: jumping straight into a strict budget isn’t the answer.
Step One Isn’t Budgeting — It’s Tracking
Most people try to control their spending by slapping on a budget:
“I’ll only spend $120 on groceries this week!”
Great in theory. But if you’ve been averaging $300, you’re setting yourself up for guilt, not growth.
Instead, start by simply figuring out where your money is currently going — no judgement, no restrictions, just awareness.
Look Back Before You Look Forward
Here’s how to start:
- Check the last 3 months of your spending. This gives you a true picture of your habits — and smooths out those weird one-off expenses.
- Categorise everything. Yep, everything. Groceries, childcare, sushi lunches, streaming apps, Friday drinks. The point is to spot patterns, not punish yourself.
Tools That Make It Easy
Don’t want to stare at spreadsheets until midnight? Good news — there are tools that do the heavy lifting:
- Pocketsmith – A Kiwi-made app that links to your bank accounts and automatically tracks where your money goes.
- Excel/Google Sheets – Old school, but still gold if you like full control.
- Some banks offer online banking graphing tools
The tool doesn’t matter as much as just starting.
Think “Baby Steps,” Not Budget Bootcamp
Once you know where your money is going, the goal isn’t to slash everything to the bone.
Start small — shave a little off here and there:
- Sometimes with budgets, waiting is the trick, because there is more money in the future. Can you put off that purchase till after the next pay?
- Once you know where money has been going you can truly weigh up which spending you would want to compromise on
- Its all about choice and control, minor changes that you can stick to
These are sustainable changes — not financial punishment.
Clarity = Confidence
Once you’ve mapped out your spending, something shifts.
You start feeling in control, there is clarity, calm, and confidence about your next steps.
