Skip the resolutions and jump to action: 3 moves that can actually help you spend less money and pay off more debt – MarketWatch
This article is reprinted by permission from NerdWallet.
If financial resolutions are intentions — “I want to save more money this year” — then financial goals are a more specific aim — “I plan to cut discretionary spending by 20% each month.”
Financial actions are the actual steps you take to make progress — “I will log in and cancel any subscription service I haven’t used in the past 30 days.”
The goal is the expendable piece of that process, says Peter Bregman, executive coach and CEO of Bregman Partners, an executive coaching company.
As a coach, he helps leaders focus on what’s important. He says people often overlook the intention of the change they want to make because it’s thought to be implicit. That can lead to tunnel vision and inflexibility on specific targets.
Skip goals, and go right from intention to action, he suggests.
Let’s say your financial intention (call it a resolution) for 2023 is to spend less money and pay off debt. Say it out loud to someone who’ll listen, says Bobbi Rebell, certified financial planner and author of “Launching Financial Grownups.” Now, with a sense of direction and accountability, you can make money moves, no goals required.
Money move 1: Look at the numbers
Grab a recent paycheck and a piece of paper, or get fancy with a free budget planner. Write your monthly, after-tax income at the top, then list our your financial obligations, says Rebell. Think rent, utilities, groceries, child care, transportation and any other bills and debt you have to pay no matter what.
Subtract those essential expenses from your monthly income. The money that remains is what you have for discretionary expenses and saving.
“It’s usually not as bad as you thought,” says Rebell. This exercise tends to uncover that a lot of expenses are discretionary, she says.
Use bank and credit card apps to tally up all the other scattered spending. From there, you can probably find a few things to cut. If you’re not sure where to start, take the budgetary ax to a streaming service. You may be surprised at the joy it brings.
Also see: 5 financial resolutions to fend off a ‘slowcession’ and help your career
Money move 2: Make it harder to buy things online
Debit cards, credit cards, cash apps and digital wallets make spending painless on the front end. The dull ache hits later though when the bills are due, especially if you carry a credit card balance.
It’s time to make shopping inconvenient. …….