Budgeting is one of those rare art forms that a lot of people never learn how to master. And although vital to managing your money (or lack thereof), it’s become something of a lost relic when it comes to younger generations understanding and practicing budgeting at an early age.

A few months ago, I noticed that my paycheck didn’t seem to go as far as it normally did – even when I was making less money. I sat down one evening, pulled up my online bank statements and started categorizing every expense for the last 30 days. What I found out was pretty shocking to me.