We tracked EVERYTHING we spent for 30 days

Hey friend,

I am once again asking for your financial support.

But I promise you’re going to want to be part of this one!

A few friends and I are running the Walt Disney World Marathon Weekend, and we’re raising money for Ronald McDonald House Charities.

This organization keeps families together when a child is seriously ill by giving them a place to stay just steps from the hospital.

The actual cost to house a family for one night is $165. Families are only asked to contribute $15, and no one is turned away if they can’t afford even that.

Our goal is to raise $3,000 to support these families.

If you’re able to give, even a little, it makes a real difference. And we will send anyone who donates over $25 a “Frugal Not Cheap” tote bag! Just reply to this email with confirmation and your address.

And it’s my birthday tomorrow so you should DEFINITELY do this because you’ve probably never gotten me anything for my birthday, and don’t you think it’s about time you fixed that!? 😉

Now… let’s talk about something wildly unsexy but incredibly powerful:

Tracking your spending.

🎙️ We Tracked EVERYTHING We Spent for 30 Days

And yes, we mean everything.

Every coffee. Every random Amazon purchase. Every “wait, how did that happen?” expense.

Here’s why this matters:

Tracking isn’t about restriction. It’s about awareness.

And awareness changes behavior.

There’s actually a ton of research backing this up:

• A study published in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine found that people who tracked their habits consistently were more than twice as likely to reach their goals

• Research from Harvard Business School shows that simply measuring progress increases motivation and performance, even without changing anything else

• In fitness, studies have found that people who track food intake or activity are significantly more likely to lose weight and maintain progress over time

Different areas. Same conclusion: What gets measured gets improved.

But here’s what surprised us most:

Tracking didn’t make us feel restricted.
It made us feel… honest.

Because it’s really easy to think you know where your money is going.

It’s a whole different thing to see it in black and white.

✨ Try this, this week!

You don’t have to track forever.

Just try 3 days.

Write down every single thing you spend. No judgment, no changing behavior yet.

Just notice:

• What surprised you?

• What felt worth it?

• What didn’t?

That’s where the real insight starts.

Because the goal isn’t to track perfectly.

It’s to understand your spending so you can actually align it with what you want.

If you listen to the episode, reply and tell me:
What was the most surprising thing you noticed when you tracked your spending?

Talk soon,
Jen

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