 TITLE: How to Track Your Expenses CONTENT: How to Make a Budget\n--------------------\nEquipped with information about your spending, you can set up a budget. Aside from tracking your spending, here are three steps for getting it done:\n1.  Figure out your income. Comb through pay stubs, bank statements and other documents to get a firm grasp of your monthly income. This money should include salary, government benefits, investment gains and side-gig cash—anything that could be classified as income.\n2.  Separate essential and nonessential costs. Divide your tracked expenses into categories, creating buckets for recurring essential expenses like rent, utility and car payments, and also for discretionary spending, such as travel, restaurants, streaming subscriptions, clothes purchases and the like. You can lump all of your recurring essential expenses into a single category or divide them into separate categories, such as housing costs and automotive expenses; you can do the same with discretionary spending.\n3.  Settle on your goals. With a broad view of your income, expenses and spending habits, decide on your financial goals. Do you want to retire at age 60? Do you want to buy a house within the next two years? Do you need to set aside more money for emergencies? Once you know your goals, you can use your budget to help you reach them. END