Ever since I’ve read all about Sherlock Holmes, I’ve dreamed of becoming a detective someday.  Many years and a college degree later, I didn’t turn out to be the crime-stopping detective of my dreams.  But that didn’t mean that I totally forgot all about my dream. From time to time, I do a little detective work for my friends and relatives. Not to find where the car keys are misplaced (for the nth time), or prove that the dog really ate the kids’ homework. Much of my inquisitive curiosity goes into helping them find the hidden money munchers in their daily lives.

Like in the case of dear old dad who seems to always run short of money every weekend. After looking into his expenses, I found out that dad has been doing a little personal shopping every week. Some of his luxury items include beer, cigars, and stuff for his night out with his friends. Because of this, dad got himself in a strict diet of not buying his luxury items. He did manage to do it, for a simple reward of tickets to the next baseball game.

In my recent case, my mom asked me to find out what my younger sister has been spending her paycheck on in the past few weeks. She just got herself in her first job, but she’s already coming out short when it comes to money. It was easy to see where her paycheck is going off to: fast food. Most of her receipts in the past weeks were from café’s and fast foods that are located on her current work route. Since I don’t want my little sister to fall into a financial trap early on, I suggested that she took a different route (one that doesn’t pass all those stores and fast foods.) and to pack lunch instead. She was quite reluctant with the idea, but she cannot do anything about it. Mom is holding back her credit card until she learns to manage her money wisely.

Not always does being a Sherlock Holmes can help discover the flaws in your current financial status. To make sure that you will be financially stable in the future, it is still best to consult a financial planner to help you along the way.