Review without judgment
A useful review is neither checking every purchase obsessively nor waiting until year-end. Once a month, look at what happened. Which category was larger than expected? Was it a one-off or a pattern?
Update your model of yourself
The purpose of the review is not to explain away every number. It is to improve your model of your own spending. Sometimes the target needs to change. Sometimes the behaviour does.
Keep the baseline visible
If one month looks expensive because of a holiday or repair, separating Extra from Regular helps you see whether everyday spending actually changed.
The goal is not a perfect month. It is an honest one - and the habit of looking, even when the numbers are uncomfortable.
Want to apply the method to your own budget?
See the 1-to-1 budget setup session or start with the free spreadsheet.