While planning a budget, all those ‘little’ expenditures must be taken into account. It could be something as small as a frappe, or a drink at the soda fountain, or some other little ‘pick-me-up’. They seem trivial but they add hundreds or even thousands of dollars to our annual expenditure. Who would want to take a payday loan to tide over this month, as a result of indulging in too many trivial expenses? These little trivialities do cause a significant dent in our financial status. Have you ever really considered all of those little places where you spent your money and then wondered how you ended up broke by month’s end?

First, collect all of the little receipts stuffed carelessly in your purse, or stashed in the glove compartment of your car. Make a mental list and tally for the items you bought, including those items too for which you didn’t find receipts for. Some common items can be:

-Coffee

-Cigarettes

-Occasional Fast Food Item

-Candy Bar

-Booze

-Aerated Drinks

And so on. You get the drift, we hope. The kids might have bought some games through your cellphone that’s not password by a password, you might have indulged in some pity-purchase (you know, some little trinket that will make you feel better about a day gone wrong). Beware of cable-services that offer some new movies for a small fee. There just might be piles of purchases littered throughout the month that need to be accounted for. Add up the numbers and you will get an eye-popping sum and a revelation. “So that’s where my money went!”

Children, adorable as they are, cost a lot. Their upkeep is exhausting and they are in a constant lookout for a handout. Whether to fit in with the crowd, lead the crowd…its exhausting nevertheless. “Small things add up” philosophy doesn’t seem to even begin to fit here. What’s small about the latest Nike shoes or the Iphone or Xbox etc? The incessant demands are made almost on a daily basis. No small wallet can ever support it. You need to have some serious income stream to fulfill these.  Movies, snacks, school dances…ad infinitum. They all add up. Big time!!

Is there a ‘slush fund’ to cover these expenses? Your answer is, umm… no not really. But then these little unplanned expenditures need to be paid for. We do try to stretch the already thin purse strings as far as possible… but they snap before long. You never even got the chance to start building towards a retirement fund. The nest egg went into paying for the little expenses. You work consistently earning money, yet there is no one more broke than you. The only way out then, is a pre-payday loan. We’ve all been there. We all want a way out of this financial situation.

First you really need to plan your purchases. Curb all the impulsive buying. Not that you should live a sparse life of self-denial. Simply allocate a little budget for impulsiveness and stick to it. Parents, learn to say “NO” to your kids. Teach them the importance of budgeting. Tell them that their expenditure must fit in the little budget you gave them. Teenagers will learn and respond quicker. It’s a win-win situation for both of you. It isn’t possible for any of us to do all that we want to do! A little restraint with these ‘little’ expenses makes a big difference.