MySMARTblog.com

What are the most common things that North Americans make goals to accomplish in the coming year when New Year’s comes around? Here are some of the most common New Year’s resolutions, and tips for making them happen.

Spending More Time with Family and Friends

The polls have suggested that more than half of Americans vowed to spend more time with their loved ones in the New Year. As the years pass by we realized that one of most important things about life is who we spend our time with, and the urge is there to reconnect and enjoy quality moments with people we care about.

Why not set up a weekly date with a friend or a family member to enjoy a favorite activity together?

Lose Weight and Become Healthier

One of the most common New Year’s resolutions year after year is a goal to shed pounds, build muscle and eat better. January is a bumper month for gym memberships, personal trainers, and weight loss programs. It’s great to have a goal to lead a healthier lifestyle, as obesity is becoming a serious health threat to our nation.

However, creating and maintaining a healthy physique requires a long term change in habits and not just a short lived fad diet so make sure that the changes you are making are sustainable.

Quit Smoking

Many people make the vow on January 1^st to put down the cigarettes forever, saving themselves from a higher risk of lung cancer and a host of other respiratory ailments. They are rewarded with better health and a sense of accomplishment if they are successful in kicking the habit, but it’s not easy.

Cigarettes are so addictive, and the statistics say that %99 of people who try to quit will fail the first time. However, don’t give up if you have tried to quit and failed. Get your friends to help you commit to kicking the habit, and promise yourself a reward every time you get through another week smoke free.

Get Out of Debt                               

Many Americans have a nasty debt hanging over their heads, whether it is a credit card, student loan, car loan, or something else. One of the most popular resolutions for the year for many people will be to eliminate that debt and get finances their back in the black again.

If you want to be successful in eliminating your debts, make a budget and a financial plan where you reduce your expenses and put a chunk of money every month towards paying off your loans. Stick to the plan and you will be debt free by the end of the year!

These are a few of the most common New Year’s resolutions in North America. What is your resolution for the year ahead?

Do you find that every January, you stare at your credit card bill and your bank balance in horror, shocked at how much money you spent in December on presents, holiday treats, decorations, special outings and more?

The holidays can be a very expensive time of year, and many people tend to get carried away and sentence themselves to a January of barely scraping by.

However, if you plan ahead for next Christmas, you will be able to buy all of the presents you need without even batting an eye or seeing your bank balance dip even once.

How can you do this?

Create a Holiday Savings Fund

It’s quite simple. All you need to do is to open a new bank account the week after Christmas and set up an automatic transfer to pay a small amount from your paycheck into the account every week. The amount can be as small as $10 per week.

Now, $10 per week will seem like nothing to you and you won’t even miss it. After all, it’s less than $1.50 per day. It’s the equivalent of two cups of coffee and a muffin at Starbucks every week.

If you can buy things on sale when you go grocery shopping, you can easily shave $10 per week off your shopping budget without even noticing the difference. You will get so used to having $10 less to spend each week that you will forget it was even there in the first place.

It All Adds Up

However, if you stick to the plan and save $10 per week by next December you will have a fantastic surprise. You will look into your bank account and find $520 that you have saved up effortlessly over the last 52 weeks.

$520 is a big chunk of cash, and it will probably be enough to cover all of the Christmas presents for your family! The best thing is that you can splurge on your holiday treats without having to go into debt.

A Holiday Savings Fund is an easy strategy to save up for the holidays, and you will always have enough to make the season special!

It’s not how much money you earn that will make you rich; rather it is your spending habits. How aware are you of what you spend on a daily basis? Do you ever think you have a certain amount of money in your account and then realize that you have a lot less?

Noticing how much you spend can be the first step to learning how to manage your money better.

Here are three useful tips for becoming more aware of what you are spending:

Use Cash

There is something about credit cards and debits cards that make it much easier to spend more than you intend to, because you cannot actually see the money leaving your hands. Also, when you use a credit card the money doesn’t come out of your account until much later which makes it hard to gauge how much you have spent.

If you are going out shopping, try taking out as much cash as you will need at the beginning of your shopping trip. Handing over paper bills every time you make a purchase will make you much more aware of how much you are spending. When you open your wallet at the end of the day, you will able to physically see how much change is left over.

Track Your Purchases

Over a month, try saving every receipt from anything that you buy and place it in a plastic bag or an envelope. At the end of the month, total up all of the amounts and sort them into categories such as eating out, clothes, entertainment, household expenses, groceries, etc. You can use a spread sheet on the computer to organize them. Chances are that you will be shocked by the results.

You might have thought you were spending one amount on groceries, eating out, or drinking and then realize that you are spending a lot more!

Check Your Bank Balance Often

With almost every bank offering online banking services these days, you can check the status of your bank account with the click of a button. It is important to keep tabs on how much money you have in your account every day or two. This will help you avoid going into overdraft or having checks bounce, and it will also let you see with your own eyes how much you spend on a daily basis.

If your bank account starts to rapidly shrink before your eyes, it’s time to rethink your spending habits!

Becoming more aware of what you are spending will put you on the right track towards managing your money better.

Do you gulp with fear every time you approach the checkout at the supermarket?

Do you end up spending a huge amount on grocery shopping every week, yet only coming home with a few bags of items?

It is possible to cut down your grocery bill drastically; you just need to know how to outsmart the supermarket and get more for your dollar.

Here are some clever tips for getting the most food for the lowest price next time you go grocery shopping:

• The most important rule is: never go grocery shopping when you are hungry! Make sure you go after you have eaten, or your growling stomach will talk you into throwing many indulgent treats and snacks into the shopping cart that you just don’t need!
• Don’t be loyal to brand names, because you pay extra for their familiarity. For example, although Heinz ketchup is the most well known, it is also usually the most expensive. The generic brand will probably taste just the same on your hot dogs and hamburgers and if it costs $1.50 less, why not give it a try?
• Think about where you are shopping. Is it a high end chain supermarket with fancy displays, nice lighting, and beautiful interior design? These types of gourmet grocery stores often overcharge for the same items that can be found at a budget grocery chain for much cheaper!
• Use coupons on the items that you regularly buy. You can find coupons on fliers in the store, and also at several websites online.
• Don’t pay extra for convenience. Packaged foods such as microwave meals, prepared snacks, and other easy and quick dishes are usually much more expensive. Buy the ingredients and cook it yourself to save money.
• Stock up on “loss leaders.” These are items that the supermarket is advertising at a ridiculously low price. They are very cheap because they attract customers in, who will likely spend more money on other more expensive items once they are in the store. If you can stick to only stocking up on the sale items and avoid being tempted by anything else you can really save a lot of money.

These are just a few easy ways that you can trim down your grocery bill and save money at the supermarket!