Remember the name of this blog – MoneyYOYO.  You’re on your own.  No one else if going to save money for you.  No one else is going to create a budget or track your spending.

So make sure your goals are clear.  Does your budget include the appropriate amount of spending that allows you to pay down debt and meet your savings goal?  Remember savings involves both large and small sacrifices.

You should track expenses at least once a quarter.  Some people like to review expenses each month.  Once a year is definitely not often enough.  You need to make time to track your spending against your budget.

If you are considering a major expenditure during the year that is not in your budget, review your budget again.  Does this additional spending match up with your goals?

If you are overspending, you will need to figure out a way to adapt your spending to get back on budget.  Some level of sacrifice will be needed.

Financial fact:  In the scramble to get through airport security, U.S. travelers left behind $531,395 worth of pocket change in those plastic tubs in 2012. (Bloomberg BusinessWeek, Justin Bachman)

Comment:  Both Mint.com and Learnvest.com have apps that might help.