Before I ever got my first job, I was horrible with money.
If I had cash in my hand, it didn’t last long. I'd spend it on whatever made me happy in the moment, without a single thought about the future.
It’s almost unbelievable now, thinking back to how casually I spent when I didn’t even have a stable income.
I just hoped I’d have enough for what I needed when the time came.
The amount of money I wasted back then?
It's a number I don't even want to know, one I could seriously use today.
Where I Started
Before I officially started working, I had one small spark of realization:
I needed to try budgeting.
At first, I didn’t have any fancy tools.
I just opened the Notes app on my phone, and anytime I spent money on something non-essential, I wrote it down.
I gave myself a goal: keep non-essential spending under $75 a month.
And even though it wasn’t perfect, that simple system worked.
In about 10 months, I had saved enough money to buy my car outright.
That car is one of the best purchases I've ever made, something I’m still grateful for and love today, and I'll continue to feel that way for years.
It was way more fulfilling than the temporary thrill of all those smaller, forgettable purchases I used to make.
Why I Needed Something Better
While it worked... that Notes app system had a lot of problems.
I had to type everything manually.
It was confusing.
It was hard to manage.
It got tedious fast, and I wasn't even tracking everything.
Eventually, the burnout caught up with me, and I knew if I wanted to stay consistent, I needed a better way to budget.
That's when I decided to create my own budgeting sheet, one that was automated, simple, and easy to use.
The System I Use Now
Instead of tracking everything manually, now I just type in a few details, and my Monthly Budgeting Template does the rest for me.
It automatically calculates:
- My income
- My savings
- My debt
- My fixed bills
- My day-to-day spending
- How much I have left to budget each month
- How much I spent within my budget of non-essentials
- And finally what's left over
There's even a graph so I can visually see how my budgeting is going without having to imagine it in my head.
And my favorite part?
It makes budgeting feel satisfying instead of like a chore.
Every time I update it, I get that rewarding feeling of seeing everything laid out clearly, no confusion, no guessing.
What I'm Working Toward Now
My next big goal is moving.
And this time, with my budgeting sheet in place, I feel even more excited to work toward it.
Being able to actually see where my money is going, and how fast I'm getting closer to my goal, has made the whole process way more motivating.
If you're feeling overwhelmed by budgeting or just want an easier way to organize your finances,
I'm sharing the exact sheet I use every day.
It’s simple, it's visual, and it's built to grow with you, just like your goals.
Final Thoughts
You don't have to be perfect with money to start building a better future.
Even the smallest changes, even the rough drafts in your Notes app, can turn into something powerful when you keep going.
Your future self will thank you for every smart decision you make today.
And if you're ready to take your first step toward a clearer, more confident financial life,
You're in the right place.
I'm excited to see what you build.