Homepage / Money
Related To Story

Tracking Spending Helps Save Money

A local blogger who writes about getting out of debt said that anyone can get out of debt with some good planning and strategizing.

J.D. Roth runs a Web site called Get Rich Slowly that Money magazine called one of the best money blogs.

He said he's no financial expert. Instead, he's just a guy who found himself $35,000 in debt and by reading everything he could about personal finance, he was able to become debt free in about two and a half years.

Now he's sharing what he learned along the way with thousands of others across the country.

He's been sharing tips with FOX 12 all week and so far his tips for getting out of debt include setting financial goals, starting an emergency fund before trying to pay off debt and paying off your smallest debts first so you have some psychological wins to keep you motivated.

He said his next tip is all about paying attention to exactly where your money is going.

"Another thing that worked for me when I was getting out of debt, was tracking every penny I spent. When you track your spending, you're better able to see where it goes. A lot of times, you don't realize what you're spending money on. So when I'm tracking my spending, I can see, oh, I'm spending $20 a month on CDs? I didn't know I spent $20 a month on CDs. I can cut my music budget down," Roth said.

There are a lot of great ways to track your spending: spreadsheets, programs like Quicken and even Web sites that let you do it for free like Mint.com.

Tracking Spending Helps Save Money


Related:
  • Debt Snowball Gets Debt Reduction Rolling
  • Blogger Helps Readers Get Rich -- Slowly

  • Best Local Rates On...



    LocalNational

    30 Yr Fixed Mortgage5.45%5.34%

    48 Mo New Car Loan7.34%7.30%

    $30k Home Eq Loan7.34%8.37%

    6 Month CD1.33%1.38%
    Help! I don't understand!
    All Rates


    Credit Report

    560? 675? 720? The average US Credit Score is 692. What is your score? See it online for FREE! More

    Sponsored Links

    Links We Like

    Sponsored Content
    Learn to train and eat the right way and you can lose that unwanted weight and keep it off! More

    Make your dreams of a college education come true and take advantage of over 4 million tuition-free scholarships available to real people just like you! More

    Having a tough time selling you home? Check out the five reasons why you may be having trouble and find professionals who can help. More

    Read reviews from actual customers and find a handyman that is right for you and your next project. More

    Stock Quotes

    GET A QUOTE
    Enter Symbol

    Shop Your Insurance

    SAVE up to 30% on Insurance
    Paying too much for insurance? Get quotes from multiple companies and choose the best plan for you. Start saving now!

    Insurance Type:


    Zip Code:

    Housing Crunch

    With banks and lenders facing major troubles, gain some insight on how to sell, refinance or keep your home. You'll find everything mortgage in our special section. More


    E-Mail News Alerts
    Get breaking news and daily headlines.
    Browse all e-mail newsletters