If you’re trying to get your spending under control, try taking Bankrate’s 7-day budget challenge.

1. Estimate a week’s worth of expenses: food, gas, coffee, movies, cd’s, etc.

2. “Be honest. Don’t deliberately overestimate…”

3. Put the needed cash aside and try to make it without credit or debit cards.

If you get through the week with the cash set aside, congratulations! If you need to make a trip to the ATM, it’s OK. Review your purchases and see where you could have trimmed costs.

In one of his podcasts, Merlin Mann talked about good habits being like a rope. Each time you repeat the good-habit action, another strand adds to the rope and strengthens it. If you’re having trouble getting your monies under control, doing a quick test like can help get you on the right path. Give it a shot and let us know how it goes!

Spending too much? Try the 7-day challenge [Bankrate]
(Photo: decaf)

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