Review your finances from last year.
Note where you did well and fell short. If you missed any goals, analyze your findings to determine why you fell short, and be honest with yourself. For instance, let’s say you missed your monthly savings plan by $100 per month. What could you have done differently to achieve that?
Set realistic and specific financial goals.
Using the above example, you would need to save about $25 dollars extra each week. After analyzing, if that can be done, great! If not, then lower the total goal to $75 or $50. Goals should be challenging but not impossible. Set your target accordingly, and remember you can do it!
Develop/Adjust your budget.
If you already have a budget great, If not, then you may want to create one. Goals are more easily achieved with a detailed game plan. So after reviewing your budget, maybe you decide to take your lunch to work more often or cut out the morning latte, whatever you think is feasible to help reach your goal.
Be prepared to adjust.
After 2-3 months, reevaluate if you are on target to meet your goal. If so, awesome! If not, it’s the end of the world but part of the process. Adjust your goal or methods accordingly to get back on track.
Reward yourself.
You can plan to reward yourself when you reach your goal, or even along the way if you are meeting targets. This can help keep you motivated on top of hitting the goal you’ve already set.
