Post-Grad Predicaments: 6 Things You Should Track Once Employed - Page 5

4. Track your spending habits

Finally having a salary-paying position can make reckless spending a real bad habit during your first year of employment, a habit that you don’t necessarily want to end “cold turkey” in the wake of economic situations like loan payments and sudden unemployment. Keeping track of your spending habits as you start racking up those big checks can be beneficial in the long-term scope of things. A tracking list of your bills, investments and purchases, both big and small, can help you notice certain trends (like excessive shopping or dining out) that you might need to break in order to grow financially. Try finding alternatives to random and unnecessary spending, like spending more money on groceries to cook meals that will last during the week than take-out that will be digested and done before you know it. Staying on top of your spending in the beginning could save you a lot of money in the end for something more substantial. Say, a vacation or a new car?