One thing I completely regret in 2018 was not keeping track of my finances. I was spending money left and right and unfortunately ended the year with a deficit. My biggest goal for 2019 is to keep better track of my finances this year. Here are some ways I hope to accomplish my goal.

1. Buy a journal

One of the things that always motivates me to do anything is to actually journal my thoughts. I thought that buying a journal to keep track of my finances would be a great first step to my goal this year. So far, I've written down every single purchase I've made so far in the year. I've also written down my current bank balance as well as the amount of money I would like to have in my bank account at the end of the month. Writing down all my purchases has been the biggest help for me so far because now I know whether or not I can go out with friends and spend money or just stay at home.

2. Keep all of your receipts

I used to always throw away my receipts because I felt like it would be just a waste to keep them with me. This year, I am trying to keep the receipts of all my purchases in one place. I actually created a box to keep all the receipts in. I decorated the outside just to make it look more aesthetically pleasing on my desk but I'm glad that I did. After decorating, I take more notice of the box and remember to put my receipts in it.

3. Create a specific space on my desk

Sometimes all you need to motivate yourself is a clean, organized, aesthetically-pleasing desk. When I have a billion things on my desk, I don't have the motivation to do anything. Recently, I made some space on my desk specifically for all my finance-related items. I believe that doing this has helped me do my finances in an organized way.

4. Buy writing supplies

This may sound kind of weird, but buying cool writing supplies actually helps me stick to my goal. If buying colorful pens, markers or pencils motivates you to write your goals, then go ahead and buy them. I promise it will make you happy and excited to write things down.

5. Buy financial/investing books

After reading books that discussed finances and investing, I learned a lot of tricks to help me quit spending over my budget. I HIGHLY encourage you to buy some books that will really guide you when it comes to finances. One of my favorite books is "How to Invest $50-$5,000" by Nancy Dunnan. She does a great job of highlighting everything you can do to build your bank account and avoid spending.