Where Do You Spend Most of Your Money?

I’m putting myself on a strict spending diet in May. For the last two months, I’ve been scrutinizing exactly where I shell out my precious dollars. At times, it’s made me more than a little neurotic about my moolah, but it’s no doubt been the best lesson. Just like with dieting, I have to assess what I’m eating if I’m going to actually change my food habits. Speaking of food…turns out, that’s exactly where most of my money has been going. Last night, I took a long hard look at my bank statement to see what I spent last week and since I debit almost all of purchases this is a fairly accurate snapshot of my spending. The outcome: A whopping $136.32 went towards food—this includes: groceries, dinner out with friends, pizza delivery and getting breakfast and lunch at the cafeteria at my job. To some that might not seem like an absurd amount but as an editorial assistant trying to make it in one of the most expensive cities in the world, I’m always looking for ways to save here, so I can spend there. At this pace, I’ll be spending roughly $600/month on food alone. This kills me—especially since I could easily save a bundle on lots of these food-related expenses. Example: Did I really need to order that $15 Papa John’s cheese pizza if I had perfectly good food in my fridge? Do I have to eat breakfast and lunch at work everyday? (For the record, Hearst’s cafeteria is ridiculously good. But it’s not free.) If I add an extra 30 minutes to my morning routine, I could eat breakfast and pack a lunch at home. Given my current cash flow, this is the most reasonable option. And honestly, if I’m going to spend, I’d rather put more towards shopping for new spring duds and less on dining out during the weekday. It sounds simple, but let’s see how I do next week. I’m curious, what do you spent the most money on during the week? What’s your money goal for May?