The economy today has caused a lot of people to be more conscious of their spending and their savings. Jobs are not as secure as they once were. In today's society it is important to know how much income one is making a month, but it is equally important to know how much they are spending each month.
By calculating ones expenses they can see where their money is being spent and it will also show areas where they could actually save money or spend it in other ways. A lot of people don't realize how much money they are actually spending on food or coffee. At the time, the three dollar coffee does not seem like a big deal, however after buying three each week, it adds up to almost forty dollars every month. By watching their spending for one month they can see if there are areas where they are being frivolous and can then change their habits to use their money better. I think a lot of people would be surprised at where their money is going and how much of it they are wasting.
In today's society people need to learn how to live within their means. The days of charging everything are gone. Unemployment is at such a high, that it is important to know how much money you need per month to live on. People need to be more responsible over their finances. By calculating their monthly expenses it is the first step to being in control over their money.