The best way to understand (and improve) your spending track record is to create one in the first place. It takes a little organization and effort, but having an at-a-glance view of your expenditures helps you better recognize, anticipate and thus modify spending patterns moving forward. The April 2008 issue of Real Simple® magazine got you started on this endeavor with a worksheet that will help you document monthly spending for the next five years. If you missed the feature, download another copy here for your Manage Your Money, Manage Your Life binder. You can also check out the additional online tools we've put together for tracking everyday and long-term expenses.