Ok, so this takes a huge amount of self-discipline, but it worked for my sister and her husband.

They made an Excel spreadsheet and actually track where every single odllar they spend goes, whether it’s a cash purchase or not. It takes a couple minutes every day to keep it updated, but apparently it’s a wonderful way to track where your money’s going, and also keep you mindful of the fact that you’re spending it.

Personally, I track all my debit card purchases, just because I use that a lot more than I use cash. Each week I get myself a $20 out of the bank and see if I can make it last all week on random ancillary expenses like a bottle of water or a late night snack with friends.

I’ve actually been trying for the past two weeks to keep a budget as well.

Best luck to both of us.