It’s 2018 and many of us are making resolutions or setting financial goals. This post is intended to provide ideas to help you achieve those goals. So let’s make it short, sweet and awesome!

Savings
Saving money can be difficult, but consider setting aside a fixed amount from your paycheck to go into your savings. Try not to focus on it and you’ll get used to the new amount each pay period. Be specific on the amount you wish to save. Saying you just want to save more money is ok, but how about saying, “I want to save an extra $200 each month!”

Spend less
Take a look at what you spent in 2017. There may be some things that you really didn’t need- so ask yourself what areas can be reduced and what can you eliminate completely for 2018? Create a weekly or monthly budget for yourself and stick to it. To help you, utilize U1’s Online Banking and Mobile app tools. You can set up alerts for certain dollar amounts and create a budget using FinanceWorks.

Pay off debt
It’s a goal many people make each year and can be difficult to maintain. To stay on track, it can be helpful to be specific on how much you want to pay off each month. If you have a loan you hope to pay off in 2018, make a realistic amount for each month. Use additional income (tax refunds, bonus from work) to make supplementary payments on existing debt.

Improve credit score
Staying on top of your monthly payments and paying off debt will increase your credit score. If you are looking to purchase a new car or take out a loan, having a healthy credit score can make a big difference on your interest rate and how much your monthly payments will be.

Retirement
No matter your age, retirement is something everyone should plan for. If your company offers a 401k, take advantage of contributing as much as possible to it. If your company does not offer a 401k, look into starting an Individual Retirement Account (IRA) to help build retirement funds.

So if you’re serious about completing any financial goals for 2018, spring into action! Give us a call and we will be happy to sit down with you and help create a plan for how you will go about achieving your goals. Anything is possible with determination. If you want to achieve something, be strong and keep at it, don’t be afraid to fail.

You know who Dr. Seuss is, right? Well, if you didn’t know…

Share your goals with us! Leave us a comment on what you wish to accomplish and how you will plan for them.