Monthly Spending Habits Quickly Add Up To Big Dollars

I just finished writing a post over at Wahara and had a mini aha moment.  For years I've driven myself and I know for sure others crazy with projecting out a variety of things.  Since I became married five years ago I notice my projecting often has to do with noticing our spending habits and wanting to make a poignant point.  The only way I could figure out how to make it dramatic enough to possibly shift my habits or perhaps convince some one else was to look out 10 years. 

It allowed me to say things like, "Did you know that if make one more $1.79 411 call it's going to cost $6,497 in 10 years?" "Do you realize how much that latte really costs? -  dramatic pause - over $14,000!"

So I created an improved Monthly Habit Spending Projection Form which helps the most financially inept individual figure out what your monthly habit is really costing you as well as allows me to calculate much faster and without a calculator. 

I choose 8% as the annually compounding interest rate - it seemed fair.

Download Monthly_Habit_Projection.xls

My frustration with the real cost of lattes - over $14,000 before my son even turns 10!