by Stacy Francis, CFP®, CDFA
This time of the year, inevitably, conversations gravitate toward the topic of New Year’s resolutions. While the vast majority tend to be not only generic (stop smoking, anyone? Join a gym?), but also difficult to follow (everyone has an aunt or an uncle who pledges to stop smoking every New Year’s), others can be fantastic in terms of motivation, and help us bring positive changes into our lives. One of the best areas to do this is your personal finances.
My dear friend never gets tired of reminding me about her idol Becky Bloomwood of Sophie Kinsella’s Shopaholic series, and her motto “take care of your money – and your money will take care of you.” And she is right! So take a moment to think about what you can do to improve your financial situation this year. Whether it is to open an IRA, shop around more before you buy your flight tickets, or save up for a down payment for a home, there will be no better time than now to put your goal into action.
My money New Year’s resolution is to use more discount coupons, restaurant.com and frequent guest cards when I dine out. What’s yours?
