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Saving Money One Step at a Time |
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Articles, How-To's and Interviews -
Personal Finances
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Written by Jennifer Thompson
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Sometimes, the best way to achieve a big goal is to start small. When we start off too big, too ambitious, too fast, we find ourselves burning out and right back where we started, with nothing to show for that burst of energy.
Some examples to consider:
I'm not eating out at all this month (even though I eat out at least two or three times a week).
I'm not drinking any soda this month (even though I drink at least one or two every day).
I'm not going out for coffee at all this month (even though I stop every morning on my way to work).
I'm going to cook dinner every night this week (even though I usually only cook once or twice a week).
We're not going to eat any meals with meat this week (even though we always have meat at dinner).
Does any of this sound familiar? If so, you might want to consider starting with a smaller, more achievable goal, and building up from there.
Instead of saying "always", "every" or "never" in your goal, try using some specific numbers. Examples might include:
I'm going to eat out once a week this month and eat at home the other six nights.
I'm only going to drink one soda each day, and one day a week I won't drink any.
I'm going to make my own coffee at home one day a week and bring it to work with me.
I'm going to cook dinner three nights a week this month.
We're going to have two meatless meals this week.
Once
you've incorporated your change into your routine and feel comfortable
with it, you can set a new goal, making sure it is once again clearly
stated and achievable. Small changes, kept up over time, lead to
bigger changes, and bigger savings.
© 2005 Jennifer Thompson
Jennifer Thompson owns and manages DivaTribe.
Read DivaTribe's review of You Need A Budget, an Excel-based budget system.
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