19
Chapter 1: Assessing Where You Are Financially
Book I
Taking
Charge
of Your
Finances
Total Annual Variable Spending $_______________
Periodic Spending
Insurance $_______________
Auto registration and inspection
$_______________
Subscriptions $_______________
Charitable donations
$_______________
Tuition $_______________
Dues and fees
$_______________
Income taxes
$_______________
Property taxes
$_______________
Other (specify type)
$_______________
Other (specify type)
$_______________
Other (specify type)
$_______________
Other (specify type)
$_______________
Total Annual Periodic Spending $_______________
Total Annual Spending $_______________
Total Annual Income $_______________
minus
Total Annual Spending $_______________
equals
=
Your Bottom Line $_______________
Assessing Your Spending Habits
Congratulations! You just took the most important step on the road to finan-
cial recovery. To varying degrees, we all live in a self-imposed fog when it
comes to spending money. Spending becomes a comfortable habit -- just the
way you go about your daily life -- and habits are always hard to break. But
you're on your way. Now that you've committed yourself to recovery, you
can take a closer look at where your money is going, consider the possibility
that overspending is a habit, and, if it is, examine ways to deal with it.
Okay, documenting your expenses has proven the obvious: You've wasted
money and probably made some lousy financial decisions. Who hasn't? (If
you haven't assessed your spending habits, see the section "Comparing
Spending and Income," earlier in this chapter.) Now that you have a handle
