To get more prescriptive about your spending, I recommend using a piece of software called You Need a Budget (youneedabudget.com) or YNAB (I know, the name is ironic in this chapter where I talk about how I hate budgets). YNAB lets you assign every dollar a “job,” like “cell phone bill” or “guilt-free spending.” Use it for two weeks—just two—and you’ll get incredible insight into your spending.
