conversation: User (shmillionaire): "Edit: [Here is the Win The Day spreadsheet](https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1_pyjALKuq7tE00fwGrkRaNlcOJEh1Mn0u31YT35SPNo/edit?usp=sharing) \n\nEdit 2: The prior post made this really simple system look too complicated for lazy people, so I cleaned it up.\n\nI'm lazy. So I thought of this budgeting system that takes very little effort, but just enough to keep you focused on your budget each day. You don't need budgeting software. You don't need Mint. All you need is a simple Google doc spreadsheet (click link above, then go to File -&gt; Make a Copy). I call it **"Win The Day"**.\n\n1. Calculate your after-tax income per month.\n\n2. Add up all of your "fixed" expenses per month. Rent/mortgage, TV, cell phone, utilities, Netflix, fitness club, student loan payments, etc.\n\n3. Subtract fixed expenses from after-tax income to arrive at your variable spending amount per month = your monthly allowance!\n\n4. Divide your monthly allowance by 31 days to get your your daily allowance.\n\n5. Every time you spend money, log it into the "Spent" column for that day.\n\nThat's it. Now you can tell on a daily basis how much you have to spend. Spend more than your allowance that day? You can tell how much you went over, how many days of underspending it will take to make it up, and how much you have left to spend by the WTM column.\n\nTL/DR: Subtract your fixed expenses from your take-home pay and divide that number by 31 = your daily "allowance." If you spend less than that each day you "Win The Day".\n\nBonus: The New Allowance column shows you what your new allowance is per day based on what you've already spent that month. For example, if you go over your allowance a few times, the amount you can spend each day going forward will go down.\n\nBonus 2: Some have suggested adding Savings to your fixed expenses. This would be a good thing for people who are consistently crushing their WTD. However, I would caution people who are breaking even each month not to do this as it will make you think you can go into negative WTD each month knowing you have a savings buffer - it will do more harm than good. A better thing to do is to see at the end of the month you are +$x, give yourself a pat on the back, and know that you are $x wealthier as a result."
  Self: "Thank you very much.  I think this is wonderful."
  User (shmillionaire): "You're welcome!"
  