如何跟踪消费情况

　　First，you will need to have your budget with you.

　　You should also have a notebook available to you. You can divide your paper into about three columns a piece. You will need to write down each budget category at the top of the column. Then you need to record the assigned amount next to it. If you have not created a budget，and are tracking your expenses so that you can create one，then you should decide on basic spending categories such as utilities，food，rent，eating out，fun money，and insurance. Record each of these at the top of the paper.

　　首先要先做好预算（学习如何做预算）。

　　你需要准备一个笔记本，把一页分成三栏，把每个预算项目写在顶部，然后写上每项预算金额。如果你想先记录消费情况再来制定预算，就需要先写上常用的项目，如，日用品、食品、房租、外出就餐、娱乐支出、保险等。写在纸张的顶部。

　　Next，you will need to take time each day to record your expenses.

　　As you record each expense in a category， you will need to keep a running total of how much you have left in that category. Simply subtract the amount you spent from the current total and record the answer. It may be helpful to have two separate columns，one for expenses and one for the current total. You may also want to record the total in another color. If you are tracking expenses to determine how much you spend you will need to add the amount you spent to your running total.

　　接下来需要每天记录花销情况。

　　通过每项预算的消费情况可以看出余额还有多少。可以每项做两栏，一栏列出消费金额，一栏列出余额。总额可以用其它颜色标出。如果需要消费总额还需再做一项加法。

　　Finally，you will need to stop spending when you see that you are out of money.

　　This is the essential step in staying on budget. You may find that your budget is unrealistic or you may need to transfer money between categories. Take the time towards the end of the month to adjust next month's budget so that will work for you. It is important to remember that saving and debt payments should take precedence over eating out and vacations. You will need cut back in some areas，but you should still be able to eat every day.

　　最后，当预算用完，就应该停止花钱。

　　这是保持预算最关键的一步了。也许你的预算在实践中不切实际，或者需要调整各项目的金额，在月内进行调整，好到下月执行。要记住存钱和还债要优先于外出就餐和度假哦。有些地方需要缩减开支，但一日三餐不能少。