Daily Number Checks

Modern technology is a pretty exciting thing when used appropriately. With all the apps we have on smart phones and tablets, we can bring our entire financial filing cabinet with us everywhere we go. In the realm of staying focused on paying down debt, this is a fabulous thing.

On my phone and tablet, I have a variety of apps dedicated to keeping my eyes on the prize, including my bank's app, grocery shopping apps, credit card apps, price comparison apps and a simple calculator. While I don't need to use every financial application every day, I do strive to check in on the numbers every day. By that, I mean simply opening them up, glancing at where we stand on spending, grocery shopping, and how much debt we still need to pay off.

The most important daily number check I do is our bank account. It takes less than a minute to open the app, log in and see exactly how much money we have in our bank account. By doing this, it makes me conscious of reality and focuses my thoughts in the right direction for the rest of the day. Having an actual number in my head helps me fight off impulse buys while I'm out and about. It helps motivate me to do an extra hour of work that day. It gets my brain thinking about as many ways as possible to save a penny here or a penny there. Ultimately, it keeps me grounded in reality.

Numbers in bank accounts can be so easy to ignore or mentally warp to our advantage. It's one of the reasons Dave Ramsey's envelop system is so effective. It makes bending reality impossible. There is no room for denial.

I recommend downloading some banking apps and adding a daily numbers check to your routine. It may be just the mental focus you need to keep you on the debt-busting track.