Given that it is Financial Literacy Month, I wanted to check-in with my friend Kim about a post written a year or so ago. In that post, What Does Your Habit Cost You? Try $112,000 I explored the cost of bad habits. The timing was perfect because Kim was trying hard to break a bad habit – smoking. I am happy to say that she has been successful and is making amazing progress. Kim tells me she feels “100 times better” and that her overall health has improved.
Kim used technology to help her with her goal. She has been tracking the number of cigarettes not smoked and money saved by not buying cigarettes with an app. In addition to the health benefits, Kim has realized a positive financial benefit as well. She has been able to route the money saved (over $2,100) back into her monthly budget. This has made budgeting and paying for necessities during the month easier. The stress of spending money on her former habit is gone!
Financial Literacy Month provides an opportunity to learn about all things dealing with personal finance. One of which, is making a change and improving your financial well-being. Whether it’s a new financial term or using a recommended technology to making a major change (like Kim did), this is a great month to explore learning about personal finance.
You can be like Kim and a year from now look back and celebrate your success on the road to financial wellness. Whether you want to break a bad habit and track the savings, or be better with your budget, there is support. Discover your motivation, set a goal, and pick a tool to help you with reaching that goal. It might be an app for saving and budgeting, or a website that provides tracking calculators, or even a real live group of folks that meet in person at a local coffee shop, take the approach and support that works for you. Don’t forget that I am also here to help, so feel free to contact me if your goal involves financial planning.
One place to look for support is at FinancialLiteracyMonth.com and follow the Tools for Success link. Here you will find a roundup of tips, worksheets, webinars and even success certificates to help you reach your financial wellness goals. Let this month be your kick-off point to better financial wellness. Tackle one topic to start with and then build on that success.
If you need more help, reach out to me and let’s get started. As an independent Certified Financial Planner™, I can help you asses your financial situation, set goals, and take steps to achieve improved financial wellness. Contact me and let’s get started! #talktometuesday #education #Hireaplanner #CFPPro #stressfree #FinancialLiteracyMonth #savings #retirement #goals