How to Reset Your Spending

After a holiday season filled with friends, food, and fun, many people use the first of the year as an excuse to reset and catch up on healthy habits including eating right and exercising. But have you considered how to reset your spending after weeks of shopping?

The idea is simple – as with your fitness goals, you want to start off with small, manageable changes over a set period of time. For example, over the course of one month:

• Buy only the things you know you need – no stocking up on toothpaste until you are certain you are out. 
• Avoid impulse purchases by keeping a list in your wallet or your phone of things that catch your eye, but wait until the end of the month to buy them (it may turn out, you don’t really want them after all).
• Go beyond packing your lunch or making your own coffee and consider inviting friends over for a potluck meal, rather than going out to eat.
• Do all your shopping offline, in person. You may find out some things just aren’t worth the trip.

These changes don’t need to be permanent, but just like your fitness goals, some of them will stick, saving you money in the long run.

How do you reset your spending after the holidays?