Write down every transaction this week. No judgment — just data.
The average person significantly underestimates how much they spend, especially on small and frequent purchases. A week of honest tracking almost always reveals at least one category of spending that surprises you — not because you did anything wrong, but because spending that happens in small increments is genuinely hard to track mentally. The data doesn't judge. It just shows you what's actually happening.
Every time money changes hands this week — card payment, cash, Venmo, apps, everything — you write it down with a brief description of what it was for. Use a notes app, a Google Sheet, or paper. At the end of the week, categorize it: food, entertainment, transportation, miscellaneous. Look at the numbers. Ask: does this reflect my actual priorities?