100+ Financial Resolutions to Make 2018 Your Best Year Ever (2024)

By Liv

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Makeover your money in 2018! Check out these awesome New Year’s Resolutions ideas for some inspiration to take control of your finances.

I’m a New Year’s resolution fanatic. I simply love pressing the reset button at the beginning of every year.

New Year’s resolutions give me the chance to forgive myself for mistakes made in the past year, and set myself up for my most successful goal-conquering year yet.

Each and every year since graduating college several of my resolutions have been related to money. Welcome to adulthood…whomp whomp.

Are you on a mission to pay down debt, save more money, spend more wisely, or simply live a better life by feeling empowered by your finances? Do you make financial resolutions? If not, try taking advantage of the motivating feeling that the New Year always bring.

Get some ideas for New Year’s financial resolutions in the list below. Remember, just pick a few resolutions that you think you can achieve.

You also don’t have to do these resolutions for the entire year. Maybe you can pick twelve resolutions and do one per month for the year. I did this a few years ago by avoiding fast food for the entire month of January (this was a diet and money saving resolution). I reached my goal, felt accomplished, lost some weight, and saved some money – what more can you ask for from a New Year’s resolution? Don’t put pressure on yourself to do something for 365 days; sometimes all you need is 31 days to make a difference.

Check out this list of over 100 financial New Year’s resolution ideas. They are split between frugal living resolutions, making more money resolutions, paying off debt resolutions, budgeting resolutions, saving for retirement resolutions, financial relationship resolutions, financial education resolutions, and some I-have-no-idea-how-to-categorize resolutions. Happy New Year and let me know which one(s) you choose!

Frugal Living Resolutions for 2018

1. Start meal planning to drastically reduce your grocery spending (try out Five Dollar Meal Plans)
2. Drink more water and less soda/alcohol/juice
3. Try making one new dish at home each week
4. Stop (or limit) eating fast food
5. Cancel your Amazon Prime membership so you can avoid those unnecessary online purchases
6. Visit the library and check out all the benefits
7. Unsubscribe to all sales emails so you aren’t tempted anymore
8. Review all your subscriptions and cancel the ones you don’t need
9. Create a want/need list to help you make better purchases
10. Quit an expensive habit (coffee at Starbucks, smoking, drinking)
11. Subscribe to a community Facebook group and go to one free event each month
12. Start packing lunch
13. Buy better quality items so you can stop wasting money on cheap stuff
14. Negotiate all of your bills (cable company, Sirius XM, car insurance)
15. Create a list of 10 free state and national parks to visit this year
16. Complete a money savings challenge
17. Eat less junk food
18. Try Meatless Mondays
19. Take better care of possessions to prolong their life
20. Start a themed/ethnic food night once a week
21. Start using coupons
22. Stop impulse spending
23. Replace one night out a month with a night in (for example, host a pot luck at home instead of going to the bar)
24. Search for used items before you buy new items
25. Find a new (free) hobby
26. Try a no-spend challenge (for a week, a month…make your own rules!)
27. Start having family game night (or start another free/cheap family tradition)
28. Make a buy-plan to help you plan your purchases and make better spending decisions
29. Start a garden and plant fruit and vegetables that you’ll actually eat
30. Download easy, free money saving apps like iBotta or ebates to save money on your purchases
31. Find something you can DIY instead of buy
32. Choose to walk or cycle instead of drive
33. Start a carpool

Making More Money Resolutions for 2018

34. Start a side-hustle to make more money
35. Ask for a raise
36. Learn a new skill and see if you can make money from it
37. Purge your closet and sell clothes on ThredUp
38. Sell anything else you are not using (furniture, exercise equipment, technology)
39. Start investing

Paying off Debt Resolutions for 2018

40. Develop a debt payoff plan and stick to it
41. Find an accountability buddy to keep you accountable on your debt-free journey
42. Stress less about your debt (because now you have a PLAN)
43. Don’t get into any more debt. Not $5 borrowed from a friend; not $5,000 borrowed on a credit card.
44. Start tracking your debt balance (you’ll get motivated as you see it shrink)
45. Make an extra debt payment each month
46. Share your debt story with someone. Get it off your chest.
47. Encourage someone else to get debt free
48. Look into refinancing or consolidating your loans
49. Stop using your credit cards if that is your vice
50. Negotiate a settlement with a debt collector
51. Increase your mortgage payments so you can pay off your house faster

Budgeting Resolutions off Debt Resolutions for 2018

52. Start budgeting
53. Stick to your budget
54. Start an emergency fund
55. Start tracking your spending
56. Review your largest budget categories (housing, transportation, etc.) and brainstorm ways to reduce them
57. Try a cash-only diet
58. Stop paying late fees
59. Set up automatic payments
60. Set up automatic savings transfers
61. Start using budgeting software that works across all computers/phones (try Mint.com or YNAB)
62. Evaluate your budget on a regular basis

Saving for Retirement Resolutions for 2018

63. Learn all about your company’s retirement benefits (401(k), matching, pension, etc.)
64. Start contributing to your retirement account
65. Increase your retirement contributions by 1% (or 5%…or more!)
66. Open an IRA
67. Calculate how much money you need to retire (and see if you are on track)
68. Calculate the age you are able to retire (with the amount you want)
69. Create a my Social Security account to learn more about your social security benefits

Financial Relationship Resolutions for 2018

70. Start having monthly budget/financial meetings with your spouse
71. Dream about your retirement with your spouse
72. Create a bucket list with your spouse and associate a cost with each item
73. Go on one free date each month
74. Volunteer with your significant other
75. Organize your financial life as a couple (combine accounts, give access to accounts, etc.)
76. Prioritize your financial goals as a couple
77. Don’t hide any purchases from your spouse
78. Check that the beneficiaries on your accounts (like retirement, life insurance, etc.) are correct
79. Talk to your parents about their will and estate plan

Financial Education Resolutions for 2018

80. Read one personal finance book each month
81. Order your three credit reports from the three credit bureaus and make sure the information is accurate
82. Increase your credit score by 30 points
83. Listen to one financial podcast episode each week
84. Bookmark three financial blogs and read them each week
85. Have one financial conversation a month with a family member, friend, coworker, neighbor, etc. Learn from their successes and mistakes.
86. Teach your children about personal finance (each month a new topic like budgeting, saving, investing, retirement, etc.)
87. Sign up for a free personal capital account to track your account balances and investments performance
88. Meet with a financial advisor if you need help managing your money
89. Meet with a CPA (who specializes in individual taxes) to learn about your taxes and to see if there are any strategies you should be implementing to ensure you aren’t overpaying taxes
90. Ask for advice

Miscellaneous Financial Resolutions for 2018

91. Keep a money journal of your money thoughts, struggles, accomplishments, worries
92. Set financial goals and map out a plan to reach them
93. Review your current health insurance
94. Review your rental or mortgage insurance
95. Review your car insurance and inquire if there are any discounts you aren’t taking advantage of
96. Take a step back and review your financial achievements; celebrate them
97. Organize your financial documents
98. Close unnecessary accounts to help clean up your financial portfolio
99. Create a will
100. Start tracking your net worth
101. Start saving more money towards the things that really matter
102. Start giving more. There’s a magic that happens when you give, whether it’s your time, money, or both.
103. Think of a money mistake you made in 2017 and vow not to repeat it

What are your New Year’s Resolutions?