Hey there! Happy New Year to you. How is your 2014 looking so far? Did you make any good resolutions to better yourself this year? How are those going so far? How many times have you made it to the gym? How is that new diet working out? Have you already busted the budget that you promised yourself that you’d stay on? If you’re anything like me, sticking to your new year resolutions are tough, especially money ones. I think sometimes it’s easier to go to the gym twice a week rather than saying no to the $3 latte in the mornings. Well, I’d like to help make your new year’s resolutions (at least the financial ones) a little easier to stick to. Here are a couple of resolutions I know a lot of you are probably making for 2014 and then some older articles I’ve written to help you stick to them.
1) Make a budget. It’s tough to know where you stand financially if you don’t have a budget. A budget is not only a great tool to keep track of how much money you’re spending, but also a tool to help you set and achieve financial goals for yourself.
Take the first step, make a budget!
If going old school with a spreadsheet isn’t for you, have you considered Mint.com? A lot of the readers here really enjoy it and rave about it. If you’re still not sold, check out this article on one of our readers and their experiences with Mint: Interview with mint.com user
2) Spend less money. Ain’t that the truth! It’s tough saying no to going out to lunch with coworkers or saying no to ordering dessert at dinner. There are two ways to manage your money; either make more money or spend less. Unfortunately, it’s much tougher for young professionals to make more money (unless it’s a side hustle!). One of the quickest and easiest ways to get your finances in a better place is to spend less money. It’s all about having the right attitude and mindset!
Having an attitude of never paying full price
8 ways to pull off brown bagging
Excuses to get you out of another dinner with friends
3) Save more for retirement. If you’ve been reading this blog for any amount of time now and I somehow haven’t convinced you of the need to put aside some money for your retirement, I’ve certainly failed! To save beating a dead horse, I’ll focus on helping you save more for your retirement.
Two no brainer ways to save more for your retirement
How should I invest my my retirement money?
4) Improve my credit score. It’s incredible how one little number can make or break you. Having a good credit score will help you getting a lower interest rate on a house, get a job, buy a car or even qualify to rent an apartment. How’s yours look? Could be better? Let’s make that happen.
How can I get my credit score?
Getting a car loan to improve your credit score?
5) Have more fun with my money. Honestly, the point of money is to enjoy it. YOLO!
Not forgetting to enjoy your money
Consider making getting your finances in order one of your 2014 New Year’s resolutions. Although it can be tough, it’s certainly not impossible! Best of luck with your endeavors and always feel free to reach out with successes or questions! youngmoneyfinance@yahoo.com
Personal Finances are certainly top of mind for many of us. If you're looking to get serious about improving your financial situation, we've got lots of great materials all over this site! Additionally, we realize that there's a lot of noise out there, and so we created PERSONAL FINANCIAL GUIDES focused on topics with all the info you need, and without any of the noise/ads/clickbait. 
