New Year, New You: 3 Habits to Start in 2018 for a more Fiscally Healthy You

It’s 2018! In fact we are already almost a month in, so - New year’s resolutions? Yeah, they are likely already amended or broken altogether, but here are three things you should resolve to do this year with respect to your finances.

First of all, make these promises to yourself not just resolutions. These are things that are going to benefit you exponentially in the long run. These are valuable habits and if you start them now they will be “no problem-o” come 2019. Tell yourself right now: 2018 is my year to get a head start on saving and managing my finances.

3 Simple Money Habits for 2018

1. Dine In

If you calculate the amount you spend each week on coffees, drinks, and meals out, it will probably surprise you – and not in a good way.  Make a promise to yourself to change just one tiny part of this habit in 2018. You can decide to make coffee at home and give the environment a break by taking it to work in your reusable mug. Or you can start to bring a lunch every day to work instead of going out. This small change to your lifestyle will become a habit and your savings will start to build up at the same speed.

2. Automated Saving

Don’t rely on yourself to set aside a part of your paycheque each month.  It’s easy to set up an automatic transfer from your chequing account, so choose an amount to be moved into a TFSA every other week and let the savings accumulate. Even a small amount like $50 every other week will end up becoming $1200 at the end of the year. Think of how great it will feel to have that after next Christmas!

3. Believe in You

The most important way you can affect your finances this year is to be mentally healthy. Make time this year for self-care and self-improvement. That might mean joining a gym, eating healthy, and getting more sleep. But it may also mean spending more nights having a glass of wine with friends and catching more zombie-pirate flicks. Your free time is valuable so make it work for you and use it to create a positive and healthy outlook on your life.  Money doesn’t buy happiness,  so figure out for you what does.  It will make having money so much better. 

These 3 simple habits are great ways to move toward a more fiscally healthy you! If you feel like this isn’t enough, maybe it’s time that you set up a meeting and speak to a professional about your finances. I mean heck, it’s 2018, sieze the day! (Am I right?)