This is one technique that I use to limit my spending: choose one thing or the other for the day. Two daily spending behaviors that I have are taking the train and not bringing my lunch. So I have decided that every workday I can eat lunch out OR take the train, but not both in the same day. If I ride my bike (my cheaper alternative to taking the train) AND bring my lunch, that's great but sometimes I'm feeling lazy and it doesn't always happen. Giving yourself an option like this is a good way to do a daily check on your spending, and is easier than trying to remember what your behavior for the week has been. (How easy it is to forget on thursday what you did for lunch on monday!) This is also a way to not feel guilty about spending you enjoy- for example if you want to reward yourself with a starbucks run during the day take the bus home that afternoon to make up for it.