Handling Your Habits

We all have habits that we may not be entirely proud of, whether it's biting your nails or keeping those tattered t-shirts.

The big thing to remember is that, for most habits, it is unlikely that you will be able to have any major transformation overnight. You will need to take it one step at a time. Although there is no magic answer for managing every saving/spending tendency, here is a general overview of how to tackle your personal habits.

Start nice and easy. Instead of grabbing your habit by the horns, ease yourself into the change by identifying baby steps that will be easy for you to adopt. Maybe you can't give up your daily latte, but perhaps you can try a smaller size.

Take the leap. After getting warmed up, you can begin to make bigger changes. Think about your ultimate goal and the steps it will take you to get there. Then, figure out the next adjustment you need to make in order to move forward. Going back to our latte example, this may be the time to try limiting your indulgence to only a couple times a week; trying bringing your own from home on the other days.

Dig deep. Once you're invested in changing your habit, and have been successful, it's time to move toward achieving your habit-changing goal. What future steps can you take to keep improving? Every goal you reach should help you reach your ultimate savings goal, so when you successfully change one of your habits, keep the momentum going. You've finally kicked the latte-a-day, and now only bring your coffee from home; how about taking the original amount you were spending on coffee every week and making a pledge to put that much additional into your savings?

Visit www.feedthepig.org for more money-saving tips.