Sometimes I feel that it is just so much easier to do the things that are less good for me instead of the things that (I know) are good for me. It is much easier to stay on the couch than to put on my sneakers and go for a run. It is much easier to grab something unhealthy to eat than to prepare something that is healthier and better for me. I am totally aware of it and still this is what I do most of the time.
One reason is probably that we tend to go for the way that is the easiest and requires the least effort on our part. Another reason could be, that is just the way that we are used to do things, meaning that it has turned into a form of habit.
Forming a good habit means doing something over and over again until it becomes something that we do more or less automatically. It takes a lot of effort in the beginning, but gradually becomes easier and easier with time. How much time? Depends on the person and depends on the task, some say 30 days, some 90 but the bottom line is that it will happen if we continue to do it.
My recommendations is focusing on these areas in order to get financially better habits:
Document your spending by writing down every expense, on an excel sheet, a notebook or in an app. Not only does it make you think twice before you buy something but the documentation makes you aware of how you are spending, where you are spending and how much. This will help you get the bigger picture and help you identify the areas that need change.
Make a budget and follow it. Your budget is your spending plan. It helps you set the spending limits on every area and helps you set the limits of your spending. Need help setting it up? Here is how to. It is a great way of taking control of your finances!
Be accountable to someone else by telling them what you are trying to achieve. If you want to change your finances for the better, share it. By doing that you will be better at staying on track because now you know that someone else knows and also it will be easier to say no to things or to do them differently without feeling that you have to hide something.
Define your financial goals. Do you want to stay out of a overdraft, get out of debt, buy a house or go on that holiday that you always dreamed of? The goal makes you stay focused on why you are doing what you are doing, motivates you to keep going and helps keep your priorities straight every time you have a money related choice to make.
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