5 Ways to Make Financial Resolutions That Stick

Eliminating debt, learning new spending habits, or building savings are financial resolutions that can change your life. They can affect your entire well-being, from stress levels to physical and mental health.

When considered as one big New Year’s resolution, it can be overwhelming to know where to begin. To make it possible in the year ahead, here are five tips to commit to your money goals in 2025.

1. Make a road map: set your money goals (and write them down)

Goal setting gives you direction. You can decide on your destination and make a plan to get there. This might seem small, but it’s not. Not only that, it’s linked to higher achievement, self-confidence, and can also make you more likely to succeed.

We created a vision board to help make this part of the process more fun. Plus, it's something you can keep visible throughout the year to help you stay focused.

2. Be specific about what you want, and why you want it

Getting clear on your priorities and deciding on a specific objective are two keys to success. When it comes to your financial resolutions and overall money goals, set aside some time to reflect on what you really want to accomplish – and be specific.

Ask yourself three “W” questions:

• What do you want to accomplish?
• When will you achieve it?
• Why does it matter to you?

Visualizing a dollar amount can lead to success, whether it’s a specific figure to save, pay off, or earn in the year ahead. Keep that figure alive by writing it down (on your vision board!) or tracking it in an app. A real dollar amount makes for a real outcome. Give yourself a deadline while you’re at it to motivate you even further.

3. Be positive and realistic

Setting intentions for the coming year can challenge you and help you grow into a new future. Being mindful about how attainable those intentions are is another important part of success.

Let’s say you’ve chosen a clear objective – with a positive outcome – such as: “In five years, I will be debt free. I will pay off my entire debt of $12,000 so that I can focus on enjoying my family instead of worrying about money.”

Be sure it’s a realistic end result based on your specific situation. Given your income, debts, and expenses, is it realistic to spend $200 on your financial goals each month? Is it possible to pay things off even faster by spending $250 a month? Or does your budget allow for $100?

Staying positive and being realistic shows you how much you can devote to sticking to achieving your financial resolutions. Our budgeting tool, Money Management, is a great place to start to see your full financial picture and help you determine if your desired outcome is attainable.

4. Keep and celebrate milestones

Making your objective measurable will help it stick. Keeping track of your progress can help you stay focused and motivated. Tracking progress on an app, spreadsheet, or a simple notebook helps you see your future getting closer and closer.

Break bigger aspirations into smaller milestones. This makes it easier to see your progress and is less intimidating. For example, a mini-resolution might be to pay off one credit card. Making smaller changes over time is often easier than trying to make a massive change all at once.

Celebrate your success along the way. Celebrating wins actually “trains your brain” by reinforcing your new habits, which makes it easier to stay on track if you hit a bump in the road at some point.

5. Make (and work) the plan

Financial resolutions often go by the wayside if they don't have a plan behind them. A plan outlines how you will accomplish your money goals.

Keep it simple. The plan might define how much you’ll spend toward your goal, how often you’ll make deposits on it, and the method you’ll use to transfer money towards it. For instance, automating monthly payments or savings targets is proven to help people stick with financial resolutions.

Choose one habit to change at a time. For example, if you need to reduce your credit card spending, focus on making that change as your first milestone. Then move on to setting money aside for payoff.

Ready to make financial resolutions that stick?

A new year is a new opportunity for success. There’s good news – you don’t have to go it alone! Our partners at GreenPath Financial Wellness specialize in helping people get out of debt and improve financial wellness. Make those financial resolutions stick by speaking with a financial expert. The call is free and confidential.

This article is shared by our partners at GreenPath Financial Wellness, a trusted national non-profit.