In your journey to become more responsible with your finances, you will need to set and maintain goals. Don’t be scared! Goals are great, just ask any soccer player 😉 Financial goals make sense right now because you are going to reflect back on this year in 12 months and be proud to celebrate not only with champagne – but hopefully with a larger bank account, and a solid grip on your financial prowess. So let’s get into it!
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Pay attention to your spending!
Seems obvious, doesn’t it? But it can be a goal that we seldom follow, and a technology feature we may overlook. Think about it – if every swipe of your debit card was recorded somewhere, and you could see what you spent on the previous week, you would be able to predict (more or less) what you’ll be spending in the following week. At the very least, you’ll see some routine purchases you make, and be able to optimize them, or cut them out (i.e: eating out for lunch versus making it at home). That not only tracks your spending habits but it helps you learn the skill of budgeting. See, that was easy. 2 problems, 1 solution: pay attention to your spending.
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Flex your Technology
Contrary to some, smart phones do more than animate your emojis. In line with visualizing your transactions from your first goal in 2019, the second is to flex your technology so that it works for you. Did you know one of the most reported problems from banking customers is that they miss a bill payment (utility, or otherwise). Why let an old problem continue when you have a supercomputer in your hand in the form of an app. Work to automate your payments on your bank’s mobile app, or at the very least, pay your bill from your bank’s app on your coffee break. If you don’t have time for that even, text alerts are a helpful way to get information about your bank account on the go.
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Invest in something
You have likely heard someone make a new year’s resolution along these lines: “I will invest in myself by…” and then fill in the blank with their desire to learn salsa dancing or throw a faster curve ball. The main element here at its base is that they want to invest in themselves. Well, it’s quite difficult to invest in yourself if you don’t start being financially responsible. Luckily for you, 2019’s investment can start today. There are a number of FinTech companies that focus on this very question. Invest as a little as you want every month (as little as $5).
If you have a personalized Green Dot Card, there is also a feature you can use called Money Vault ( “a money what?”). Green Dot has developed the Money Vault feature available on the Green Dot mobile app so that when you move money from your account balance to your vault, that money will be unavailable to spend, until you transfer it back to your card. See…something for everyone!
So, no matter what your goals are, it’s no question that we wish you success. Following these 3 goals is our advice for the new year to start on a road to financial stability and success. You will need to stick your nose to the ground and focus on finances like you would your health. If you’ve got time to text with friends, you’ve got time to manage and succeed in your finances. So what are you waiting for!?
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