Free Sample
The Purple Guide to Learning Personal Budgeting in 10 Days
A 10-day starter plan to track your spending, spot your money leaks, and decide if budgeting is a habit worth keeping
by Alumigogo Books
Chapter 1: First Day
First Day: Just Look at Your Money, Not Judgment
Let's be honest about what day one is and is not. This is not the day you build a revolutionary spreadsheet. It's not the day you cancel every subscription or promise to pack your lunch forever. Today is the day you finally do the thing you've probably been avoiding: you open up your bank account and credit card apps, and you look at what actually happened to your money this past week.
That's it. That's the whole session.
If you're suddenly feeling a knot in your stomach, that's normal. Most people feel a mix of curiosity and embarrassment the first time they track their spending. You might be thinking, "I don't want to know how much I spent on takeout." That's exactly why we're doing this — the knot loosens when you have facts instead of guesses. You might also be thinking, "This is going to take forever and be confusing." It takes about 25 minutes. I'll walk you through every step with the same app screens you're probably looking at right now.
What you'll need before you start
Find a quiet-ish spot where you can sit for half an hour. Grab your phone or your laptop (your phone works best because your banking app is already on it). Get a piece of paper and a pen, or open a blank text file or note-taking app on your device. You'll also want your bank login details and