I don't know about you but my Instagram is flooded with people posting their new year’s resolutions. They include but are not limited to: spending more time with my kids, going to the gym, saving up for a new home. These stalwart resolutions come with matching hashtags and little to no actual planning. You see, a resolution without a plan is a wish. A dream. It's as unattainable as catching a cloud. So why do we state these wishes and wonder why we fall short year to year?
If you don't know what I do or what my personality is like, I PLAN....for a living...and I love it. So does my husband but in a very different field. Every year we sit down together and come up with two or three things each that we want to accomplish. These thing must be reasonably attainable. i.e. lose 20 lbs in the same year as having a baby probably isn't possible for me. But maybe losing 5 or 10 lbs is possible. For each thing we want to accomplish, we discuss and write down steps to success. If you are wondering how this all ties into money, nearly all of the goals involve money of some kind, even if it's a copay for a doctor's visit. I 'll give you an example.
Husband wants a promotion at work. That means more travel. More travel means more of the housework on me. I don't magically get more hours in the day when he travels which means the housework and child care still has to happen somehow...enter MONEY. We have to carefully plan our budget together with these goals.
This is the key. A goal or resolution does not stand alone. It's a lifestyle change. It affects everyone in your household and you need a budget that supports all your goals.