Although there are signs that the economy is improving, many still feel a pinch in their wallets -- especially in the week that income taxes are due. Although you may be tempted to track your expenses, if you would like to attract more money, start tracking your cash inflows not your outflows. Use this simple exercise, which I learned from Stephanie McWilliams, to rewire the way you think about your finances.
Get a piece of paper and make a numbered list for every day in the current month. (For April, you would write down the numbers 1-30.) You can write the numbers in two or more columns as long as you leave enough room to write something next to the number. Then, for a month, write down any and all amounts of money coming in next to the day of the week you received it.
It's easy to think of the big items, like when you get your paycheck, but it's harder to think of the little more obscure ones. Here are some suggestions: someone treats you to a cup of Starbucks, a birthday check, a rebate, when your boss buys you lunch, a store credit or refund, a return on your investment, or found money, for instance when you stick your hand in jacket pocket and find a few bills.
As you track these inflows, don't be surprised if you start attracting more money into your life. Because of the Law of Attraction, what you pay attention to expands. When people budget, they typically focus on what is being spent, not on what is being depleted. Why not focus on what's right with your finances? The results may surprise you and, ultimately, make you feel much more comfortable with your financial circumstances.