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5 Tips to Meet Your Financial Goals in the New Year
The New Year is upon us and you know what that means...New Year Resolutions! Do you know what your financial goals are for 2016 yet? Setting financial resolutions in the beginning of the year will help you follow through during the rest of the year. These tips from our community can help you bring real change to your financial life in 2016! Don't know where to start? Read these practical tips from some of our favorite bloggers to help you attain those goals!
- "The best way to save money is to come up with a plan of action so you stay on track and have a way to hold yourself accountable. When developing a plan, you should include a goal amount and a target date. Once you have set your date and figured out an amount, divide the amount by the number of days/weeks/months you have to achieve your goal so that you know how much to set aside daily/weekly/monthly to achieve it. If you aren't saving for something specific and your goal is just to save money no matter what the amount, you should check out the 52 week money challenge or the Reverse 52 Week Money Challenge as it has a specific plan already set for you that will allow you to save a minimum of $1,378 by the end of the year if you stick with it and follow it accordingly. Any plan you set for yourself is more likely to happen with accountability, so see if anyone you know is willing to do something similar." ~ Leanette Fernandez, TeachMe2Save.com
- "Get Organized: One of the biggest potential setbacks to your finances is being disorganized. Start the New Year by setting up a system that will allow you to keep your finances in order and will also enable you to easily access your financial documents. At the least, you should own a monthly planner to keep track of your bills along with their due dates. Create a filing system where you can keep important information such as tax returns, real estate documents, trusts, insurances, banking information and retirement documents. Having an organized system will help you stay informed on where you stand financially. No more guess work! By setting up a solid financial foundation at the beginning of the year, you can focus on reaching your financial goals in the New Year instead of wondering if you paid a bill on time." ~ Jesenia Montanez, TheLatinaHomemaker.com
- "First of all open a savings account. Take a look at your monthly bills and reduce them by removing those services, perhaps, on your cable bill or cell phone that are not being used. Take a look at your homeowner’s insurance bill. Do you have enough or too much? Too much? Remove it and lower your monthly bill. Would switching insurance companies help you get a better rate? Take those savings and deposit into your savings account. These savings could help with unexpected emergency situations." ~ Myrah Falco-Duque, CouponMamacita.com
"Take the credit cards out of your wallet right this second. I'm serious! Keep them stored at home somewhere safe for emergencies. This will make such a HUGE difference because you won't go around spending money you don't have. In your wallet only carry, cash, gift cards, prepaid cards and your debit card. That way when you are out and about even if you are tempted to buy something you don't have the money for, you won't be able to do it." ~ Claudya Martinez, UnknownMami.com
- "Everyone makes New Year's resolutions and in the majority of the cases it involves a financial resolution. If you want to hit your mark this coming year, my tip for you is to start by tracking your spending and setting an attainable budget. This way you will know where your money is going and will be more likely to succeed in your resolution." ~ Ana C. Sanchez, MiamiMommySavings.com
Put it in writing! What is the one financial resolution you will make for 2016? Let us know on Facebook!
Happy New Year and Happy Saving!