I finally started writing down every purchase after my coworker said something that stuck with me

Angela Anderson · 2026-10-08T22:40:04.23219+00:00

My coworker Beth told me at lunch last Tuesday that she and her husband paid off $11,000 of credit card debt in 14 months just by writing down every single thing they bought in a notebook. I laughed at first because it sounded too simple, but then I tried it for the last 3 weeks and I already found $85 of stuff I forgot I was paying for, like a streaming app I never watch and two coffees a week I didn't know added up so fast. I'm not doing a fancy app, just a $2 notebook from the drugstore, and honestly seeing the numbers in my own handwriting hits different than a screen. Has anyone else tried the plain notebook thing, and did you keep it up past the first month or did it fizzle out like most of my budget attempts?

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I finally started writing down every purchase after my coworker said something that stuck with me | Budgeting Wins - The Community Guide