Mom: Keep those Financial New Year’s Resolutions!

Each and every year, after the holiday credit card bill shows up, we make resolutions with the best of intentions. And, within a month or maybe less… we’ve given up completely. Why is that?

Vague Goals

The goals we often times set are unrealistic or are too vague to be trackable. Here are some examples of resolutions.

*Bad Resolution: “Pay off credit card debt.”
*Better Resolution: “Pay an extra $20 each month towards credit card debt until it’s paid off.”

Do you see the difference? One is vague. You can’t possibly hold yourself accountable. The other is much more trackable.

Here’s another example.

*Bad Resolution: “Spend less money eating at restaurants.”
*Better Resolution: “Use a menu planning service to ensure that we have groceries in the house at all times. Eat at restaurants or fast food only twice per week or less.”

Difficult Goals

It’s wonderful to make resolutions, but they do no good if you don’t have a plan in place to help you reach them. Let’s go back to that “Pay an extra $20 each month towards credit card debt.” Where is that $20/month going to come from? Is it magically going to appear just because you set a goal? Will the “New Year’s Fairy” deliver a wad of cash to you each month? Of course not. You have to have a plan in place to make the extra money available to you.

For instance, the two goals could be combined. The second goal is reachable. Instead of just saying to eat fast food once per week, add on a way to do just that – by signing up for a menu planning service.

The best resolution could be a combination of both goals: “Use menu planning service to ensure that we have groceries in the house at all times. Eat at restaurants or fast food only twice per week or less.Take the money we save and apply at least $20 each month towards credit card debt until it’s paid off.

It’s a new year, which means that it’s a new chance to actually make New Year’s Resolutions and KEEP THEM. We hope these examples will help you to set achievable new year’s goals and put systems into place so you can achieve them.

**********
Christine Steendahl created a menu planner for busy moms. For a free one week trial of this family friendly meal planning service which includes a weekly grocery shopping list, visit Meal Madness.com.