Are you trying to figure out where the heck all of your money goes? Trust me, I’ve been there.  Trying to understand how I got paid one week and it seemed like I was broke a week later.  I could have $100 in my hand at the beginning of the day and end the day with like $3 easily and wondering “how did that happen?” The thing is though, many times our money disappears quickly because of some common budget problem areas.

Here are 6 of the biggest budget problem areas, so you know where you can start cutting back:

1. Fast Food.  Seriously.  Just stop going, it may seem like no big deal if it’s just a couple bucks for food, but it adds up quickly and in a months’ time, you can easily spend hundreds each month on this alone.
2. Coffee.  Make a drive through the coffee shop a once-in-a-while splurge instead of a daily habit.  One $5 latte every weekday adds up to $100 or more monthly.  Where else could you use this $100?
3. Cable.  Do you really need cable?  The answer is probably no.  Even if you keep the cord, do you really need the fancy, expensive cable package?  I was recently speaking to a friend who pays over $250 each month for this service.  Wow.  No thank you.
4. Food waste.  How much food do you throw away each month?  My guess would be too much.  Start serving leftovers for lunch each day.
5. Late fees.  So, you want to “save money” by waiting until next week to pay your bill, huh?  We that’ll cost ya.  Most places charge you an extra $5-$20 each month for late fees.
6. Cell phones.  How much do you pay for your phone each month? Many people do not bat an eye at the idea of making a payment of $25-$50 for their phone alone, that doesn’t even include your service.