That’s so well said Suzie. Our attitudes have such a big impact on our finances and our lives in general. It’s also important to note that what makes one person happy might not make another person feel any joy at all. That’s why it’s so important to know yourself. You don’t need to keep spreadsheets to learn this. There are many ways to keep track of the things that bring happiness in to your world. Thank you for the comment.

When you know what makes you happy you can trim the non-joyful expenses without feeling much impact and keep the stuff that brings you joy!

I added a snippet of a sample spreadsheet above.

“I fill my spreadsheet with emoticons. Imagine looking at a grinning face in one row and a red angry face in another. Date night gets a smiling face with hearts. A woozy face appears next to the nachos we ordered after a long night at the bar.

My spreadsheet doesn’t look quite so boring anymore.”

I’m super excited that you are trying this out! Let me know how it goes!

I’m trying your expense method for August. I’ll let you know how it goes

Let me know if you try it. I’d love to know if it starts to change your spending habits. I find myself asking, “Will this make me happy?” before I buy something. If it doesn’t then it doesn’t go into the cart.