Hi, friends! Today I'm excited to share with you my first monthly budget update! If you read my first post of 2019, you know I'm doing something a little different this year – focusing on building one habit per month instead of overwhelming myself with a long list of New Year's resolutions. And for January, that habit was budgeting!

The Goal

My goal for January was simple: track every single expense and stick to my predetermined budget in each category. I created categories for groceries, dining out, entertainment, transportation, personal care, and miscellaneous.

How It Went

I'm happy to report that I stayed within my overall budget for the month! However, it wasn't without some adjustments along the way. Here's a breakdown of how I did in each category:

• Groceries: Under budget by $35
• Dining Out: Right on target!
• Entertainment: Over budget by $50
• Transportation: Under budget by $20
• Personal Care: Under budget by $15
• Miscellaneous: Over budget by $20

Lessons Learned

1. Tracking is key. Simply being aware of where my money was going made me much more mindful about my spending decisions.

2. Build in flexibility. Life happens! I had an unexpected expense in the entertainment category (concert tickets that I really wanted), but because I was under budget in other areas, I could accommodate it.

3. Meal planning saves money. The weeks I meal planned and prepped, I spent significantly less on groceries and didn't eat out as much.

February Goals

I'm continuing to track my budget in February, but now that the habit is established, it's becoming more automatic. I'm also adjusting a few category amounts based on what I learned in January.

Are you working on any financial goals this year? How's it going so far?