Little things add up

This is a guest post from Ashley over at Money Talks.  Her passion in life is to help you get control of your money.  If you like this article stop by her site, or better yet, subscribe to her feed so you don’t miss a thing. 

I worked at Toys R Us when I was in high school.  During my time there I was often tasked with being a cashier.  I rang up everything from swing sets to action figures, but nothing caught people by surprise more than those customers who had a basket full of stuff from the birthday party supply aisle.

It never failed.  I’d ring up all the paper plates, colorful cups, matching napkins, streamers, balloons, and gift bag goodies and come up with a total that was a complete shock to the customer.

“What!” they’d exclaim, “That can’t be right!”  They would pull open the bag I had just filled up and do some mental math.

“Sigh, that sure adds up quick!”

It does.  Each item in their bag only cost a few dollars but when added up it was more than they expected.

It’s the same with life.  A few dollars here, a few dollars there, and before you know it your whole budget is blown.  The larger items you can plan for.  You know how much your house and car cost.  But do you know how much you spend on maintenance for those items?  Do you know how much you spend on school lunches for your kids or on hair products for yourself.

It’s good to know because it all adds up.  Most people’s financial problems don’t come from the big stuff in their budget.  Usually their big items are in line with their income because they were paying attention to those things.  In most cases it’s the small things that sink the budget.  Paying attention and counting those little things can make or break the budget.   That’s why tracking your spending and living on a budget helps you get control of your money.  It forces you to spend time thinking about the little things.

Just like my Toys R Us customers, no one ever gasped at the cost of a new basket ball hoop or expensive bike.  No.  What caught people off guard was when they filled their cart with $2 items.  Individually, those things weren’t worth the time to think about, but as whole they added up to some serious bucks.

How do you feel about watching the small things in your budget?  Do you have a system that works for you?  Does it feel overwhelming to have to watch every dollar?