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Saving money starts with knowing where it all goes. Our unbudgeting guide is designed to get you thinking about all areas of your life that could be draining your pockets.

You may want to modify these according to your own circumstances:

• Calculate your total monthly after-tax income.
• Establish a reasonable monthly amount that you'd like to save for the future. This is an essential second step, make sure you pay yourself first.
• Tally up all your fixed expenses. This includes your mortgage, hydro and electricity bills, car payments, transportation costs, home maintenance, subscriptions, etc. Be sure to include any health club memberships, entertainment subscriptions and/or other regular monthly expenses.
• Estimate your regular weekly expenses, such as groceries. Multiply by 4.3 to convert it to a monthly figure.
• Add annual requirements such as clothes, kitchen and home equipment, etc., and divide by 12 to get a monthly amount.
• Allocate money for vacations, holidays, kids' summer camp, or other seasonal requirements. Then divide by 12 for your monthly figure to start saving for them.
• Come up with a reasonable number for discretionary spending. Remember, the goal is not deprivation but to plan your money for the things you care about.
• Now, add up all your monthly expenses. If the total exceeds your monthly income, go back to the drawing board and make cuts. You may have to get a bit ruthless!

Once your written plan is in place, the real work begins. You need to live by it, and you need to maintain it.

Every month, sit down and compare actual with projected expenses. If an estimate is unrealistic, adjust it.

The point is that by working with a plan, you can reach an understanding of what your priorities are and adjust your plan to best meet your life goals.