You want to make progress with your resolution right away—if you don’t, you’re afraid you’ll lose momentum and give up on the whole thing. To prove your commitment, you buy all the materials you need to make it happen.
According to a survey from the software maker Quicken, 40% of people spend $100 to $500 to stay on track with their New Year’s resolutions and approximately 14% of people spend $500 to $1000. Out of the respondents, 7.8% shell out $1000 to $2000 to reach their goal!
Don’t pull out your wallet just yet. You can avoid the common problem of overspending on your new year’s resolution. Here’s how you can reach your ultimate goals without burning through your budget:
Getting Fit
The first thing you should know is that gym memberships are money traps—gym-goers spend an average of $17 per visit, but you can spend more depending on your location and the exclusivity of the facility.
You can avoid the costs entirely by turning your living room into your personal gym. By using equipment like yoga mats, dumbbells, and resistance bands, you can follow affordable and well-rounded workouts.
People often hire personal trainers to make sure that they stick to their goals, but that decision can cost more than a hundred dollars per session. As a cheap alternative, use workout apps like Six Pack in 30 Days and MyFitnessPal to spice up your fitness routine and motivate you to achieve your resolution.
Reading More
You don’t have to spend a fortune replenishing your personal library. Host a book swap with your friends to trade off all of the books that you’ve already finished or that you don’t want with new titles. If you don’t want to host the event at home; you can trade titles through BookMooch with avid readers from around the world.
There are lots of companies that can help you stock up your reading list without overspending:
- Anyone who loves the classics should go to the website Bibliomania to browse through more than 2000 free texts.
- People who prefer listening to their stories should sign up for a free trial on Audible to enjoy audiobooks for a month.
- Members of GoodReads are eligible to participate in giveaways for books that have yet to be released so they can be some of the first to flip through the pages.
Finally, one of the easiest ways to save money on reading for your new year’s resolution is to take advantage of the free options at your local library, which will have a massive inventory of books, audiobooks, and magazines. If you don’t spot a novel that you want, make a request and the branch can order it for you.
Going On A Diet
Don’t fall prey to the advertising of the $66 billion weight loss industry — you don’t need to sign up for expensive memberships or buy special foods to get to your goal. There are plenty of healthy options out there that won’t take a chunk out of your paycheck.
One of the cheaper ways to lose weight is to stop eating packaged processed foods, which contain high levels of sodium for longer shelf-life and tend to be more expensive. Replace them with fresh fruits, vegetables, seeds, and unsalted nuts. If you’re worried about price, remember to buy nuts and seeds in bulk and to buy produce in season.
Another option is to cut down your meat consumption, especially with beef. Replace the pricey protein with affordable and heart-healthy choices like eggs, beans, or tofu.
Trimming down the costs of your new year’s resolutions will help out your finances. Instead of using $500 to buy a gym membership or invest in a diet plan, you could put that money towards your savings. Five hundred dollars is an amazing start to an emergency bill; it could help you tackle a minor problem like an overdue bill without a second thought.
Don’t worry if there are several thoughts involved. If an unexpected bill or repair comes at a time before your savings are ready for these financial headaches, a lender like MoneyKey is there to help. They offer online payday and instalment loans for when you don’t have any other resources on-hand. The application process is quick and easy — it can be approved right away, and the money can be in your account twenty-four hours later.
As a way to avoid loans, the website recommends that you try these financial resolutions this year in order to cut down your costs while continuing your journey of self-improvement. Ambitions like cutting down alcohol, quitting cigarettes, and turning your hobby into a side-hustle all come with substantial savings.
Popular advertising will make you feel like you have to spend a lot of money to complete your resolution, but that’s not true. You don’t have to choose between self-improvement and a full wallet. When you do the research and find cheap alternatives, you can reach your goals without going broke.
