- At the time that you spend money, track the category of spending (grocery, rent, out-to-eat, gas/transport, travel, etc.)
- Apps or an online spread-sheet service will make this easier
- At the end of the month, find your total spending per category
- Evaluate whether your spending is sustainable* and in line with your goals per category
*to evaluate whether your spending is sustainable, you will also need to know what your income looks like; that is usually a lot easier to track than spending, but it can be broken into categories (wages, interest, dividends, etc.) as well if desired