When *do* you work on strengthening your money habits?
I’d be willing to bet on this:
- If you quickly and definitively answered something to the effect of “Monday evenings after supper” or “When I go shopping, I now have a plan ” you and your money are probably in good shape and getting better.
- If you have to vaguely respond or “when I feel like I should” your money is likely a bit precarious.
- If you pretty much don’t regularly set aside time to strengthen your money habits, odds are you and your money are routinely parted.
So here’s my final January challenge to you. Over January, I have posted plenty about changing money habits.
- It’s not really about relying on will power and self discipline.
- Odds of improving your money habits increase if you know your strengths and bring them to play in your financial life.
- Identifying what you are already doing right and enhancing that is also an excellent strategy, as is selecting one, just one, habit to strengthen.
My challenge to you is this (and fwiw I’ll be joining you in this — I’ve been getting lackadaisical and this money coach needs to heal herself! that happens from time to time, you know!) : Clearly name a time and place, or a routine situation, when you will work on strengthening your money habits.
It could be:
- Next time a friend invites me for lunch, I’ll suggest coffee instead
- Each Monday after work I’ll review my bank balances for 15 minutes
- I have joined a money club and we meet Thursday evenings
Whatever it is, if you have a time and place for it, odds are your money habits will develop. Good on ya.
Sneak Peak – February’s posts on Wednesdays and Saturdays will focus on Money and Relationships and our relationship with money. Keep popping back!