Want to Quit Your 2016 Budget? Don’t!
February 02, 2016If you have read any of my prior blog posts, you probably know that I have a thing for chocolate. I even do a run called “Hot Chocolate” held in January. I do the 15K, about 9 miles, with water and chocolate stops along the way. Once I am done, you are given hot chocolate and I gulp it down in about 30 seconds. Despite the sub-freezing temperatures, I enjoy the runs because they gives me and my friends uninterrupted girl time to catch up.
One of the themes that kept popping up during our run was about finances – namely, getting back on track when you’re only about a month into the year and have already fallen off the wagon. I told them to look at January as the month to figure out what does not work. Like most new runners, people starting a new plan, whether budget or finances, go all out until they crash and burn out before finishing the first mile or in this case, January. The key, like with a long run, is to go slow and steady. Most importantly, forgive yourself and look at January as a test month.
Think of a “quick win,” something you can do easily to get your finances on track. This can be as simple as bringing your lunch to work once a week (if you spend $10 on lunch, this can add to over $300 in savings by year end), committing to savings $5 a week, or using cash for items you typically overspend (eating out, clothing, groceries, etc.). Having a “quick win” sometimes gives you the motivation to write a spending plan or track you spending.
Just like with running, remember that some people can start a running program with 3 miles while others can only walk for 10 minutes. But at the end of a race, everyone ran the same miles no matter how fast or slow they went. So if it takes you a little longer to get to a place where you have a spending plan in place, so what? The only thing that matters is that you get there.