In many ways, achieving financial success is just like a game that you play with yourself.
To achieve financial success, you don't just need to earn a lot of money but you need to save more as well.
Unfortunately or fortunately for us, the only person who can prevent us from saving enough is our very own selves.
And that's when the game begins! Top 10 Ways to Keep Your Resolution for Financial Success Saving and Earning It takes two to tango and to achieve success, you need to save and earn at the same time.
Earning a lot of money without knowing how to save won't take you far away from bankruptcy.
Knowing how to save but earning too little won't change your financial situation much either.
If you want to enjoy financial success for this year, you need to know how to save.
Secondly, you need to consider your sources of income and ask yourself if there's something you can do to earn more.
Invest Wisely Having a high-paying job is rarely enough these days.
You need to learn how to make money work for you.
By choosing the right investments, you can virtually sit back and watch your money grow without any help from you.
Before investing in anything, always research extensively about the proposed project.
Make a Monthly Budget Don't wait for the bills to come before you start budgeting.
Instead, take out your calculator and start estimating how much your expenses would be for the month.
Set aside the corresponding amount, plus some more for contingency, to ensure that you'll only be spending money you can afford to spend.
Keep Plastic Money Where It Belongs Credit cards are very convenient - too convenient, if you ask me.
It's time to change our outlook on credit cards.
Instead of swiping till we drop, we should gather all but one of our credit cards and keep it under lock and key, never to be touched again until there's an emergency.
As for the lone credit card existing outside the drawer, keep it in the deepest recesses of your bag.
Try your best to forget about its existence and use it only as your very last resort.
Bring Only What You Need If you're out to watch a movie, go shopping, or leaving the house for any reason, bring just enough cash to tide you over.
If you bring more than you need, you might be tempted to spend more than you should as well.
Get the Piggy Bank Out It's time to stop being so careless with loose change.
Wipe off the dust from your piggy bank and give it a place of honor in your living room.
Deposit all your loose change in them and you'll be in for a pleasant surprise when it's time to count your blessings at the end of the year.
Enjoy Your Home Why eat out when you can cook perfectly good food with the stuff inside your refrigerator and cupboards? Why watch a movie when there's a perfectly good show on TV? Why go to the spa when there are now a lot of beauty packages available for you to pamper yourself at home? You've worked hard to beautifying your home and it's high time you start enjoying it.
When you do, you get to save money as well.
Pay On Time Never ever pay late if it's going to incur penalties and interest expenses.
Those dollars are never to be reimbursed and refunded and they're the worst example of money going down the drain.
Do What You Can Today Time is gold as they say, so every second you waste is practically a dollar wasted as well.
If you want to enjoy financial success, do what you can right now.
Give Yourself a Timely and Much-Deserved Break All work and no play make us unhappy.
Working hard is good, but if you work too much then you could start suffering from stress and end up spending more money on medical expenses.
Once in a while, give yourself a pat on the back by splurging a reasonable amount of money for your pleasure.
But don't make a habit of it! Of course, the bottom line for all these tips is having enough self-control.
If you have it then you won't have to play these little games with yourself to save enough money.
But if you don't then go ahead and play! It won't be easy to outsmart yourself but it's very, very possible if you want something bad enough.