A fresh month

It's getting to be the end of January, we are all about to begin February. Think of this as a fresh start. Think of each new month in this! I know it is only the second month of the year, but I have read studies that say that the majority of New Year's Resolutions have already been given up by now. Don't wait for next year to make new ones. You could do so much damage by waiting around for the next time for resolutions. Make new ones at the beginning of each month! Here's some of what I'm talking about

Budgeting!!!! 

• Credit Cards! I know I have said they are great in the past. Let me clarify how to use them in a good way. Get a credit card with a low limit!!!!! like $500 low. Pay this off every few days and write these amounts in your registrar!!!!!! Don't get a huge credit card unless and carry it around for emergencies, then on a shopping spree! 
  
• Pay off Credit Cards! Let's say you have already maxed out several credit cards, as I'm sure some people have, and are thousands of dollars in debts. Or let's say you are in debt because of school. The simplest piece of advice would be to take it one day at a time, and set aside as much as you can. Get professional help if you are far in debt. The more professional, the more expensive, but the more they can help. But even if you are making enough to live a fairly cushy lifestyle, cut your expenses significantly, budget wisely, and pay off your payments fast to get a better credit score! And don't forget! Those minimum payments may only cover your interest, you may not actually be making a dent in what you owe! 
• Budget week by week! Set aside the right amount of money for your set expenses in the beginning of the month: rent, utilities, insurance, payments... The rest is for your changing expenses: food, clothes, entertainment... Divide the money into 4 (for four weeks in a month) and spend this amount each week, but no more. If you have problems (like I do) try withdrawing this money and spending cash each week. Then once you run out, you run out and don't spend anymore. 
• Keep looking! Keep the cost of all your bills out, and their due dates! Make sure they are all paid in full on time. Some you can even pay in advance! Make sure you have enough for all of your bills, because this is the most important thing. You may be living paycheck to paycheck for a few years (hopefully you then get that huge promotion, or that huge wedding ring...) and you can finally move up in life. But you can't if you have bad credit. 
• Save! The economy :-(. It's not doing well, as everyone hears about daily, but it's the truth. I have heard that it should be doing better by the summer, but you never know. Keep your portfolio and resume ready just in case. And keep some money set aside to get you through if something does happen. It is wise to keep at least 2 months saved up, of daily living expenses. I've heard as much as 9 months should be saved up. But do what you can. Because once your income goes, you can't really do anything. 
• List! Make a list of everything you WANT! This is help you save for these things instead of blowing it on spur of the moment small purchases! Put on there your barstools, and those hot $150 jeans your dreaming of! (Or maybe this is just my list) But make a list, and maybe put pictures up in a few strategic places to entice you to save up! 

Health!

• Exercise! It's never too late to start exercising! Don't be ashamed to exercise. What's the worse that could happen? People make fun of you? No one will! Esp not in a crowded gym! They would get their butts kicked by all the in shape people! You fall off the treadmill? I've done it! Maybe that hot nice guy will see you and realize you're human and check to make sure your ok! Its better to do it now, than 20 years and 40 pounds later! 
• Eat healthy! It's cheaper first of all! Think about how much you spend at McDonald's or Moe's everytime you go. Then think about how much you would spend on a casserole, and how many servings you would get out of it. Also think about how much healthier this is. Everything for lasagna is about $30 (this one is a bit expensive). I usually get about 8 servings out of it, this is less than $4 a serving. And most of the things that go into it you already have! 
• Vitamins! Take a multivitamin everyday made for women (or men if you are a man). This will give you an extra boost that will help you out. It only takes a minute to take and you will feel much better! 

Personal

• Job! Now I'm not going to tell you to quit your job, esp in this economy. But I will tell you to do something to improve it! If you don't like your position, think about what you could do to get a promotion. If you actually dread coming into work, begin putting your portfolio together so that you can be ready if another position comes up. But stay realistic. Don't expect to become the CEO anytime soon if you just graduated from college. 
• Relationships! This goes for both romantic and friendship. Relationships are a two way deal, each side has to give and take. Make sure you listen to all of your friends! And make sure they are listening to you. If you think you aren't getting what you deserve, talk to your friend. It's better than blowing up at them down the road. Getting your feelings out may create a tense situation, but think about how tense a situation would be if you blew up at her during brunch because she's going on and on about her stupid dog (not a real life event hopefully) 

Think of each new month as a new beginning, and do what you can to improve yourself. Most peoples New Years Resolutions don't last but a few weeks, an average of 3. Think about if you did this for 3 weeks each month. If you ate well, budgetted well, and exercised for 3 months out of the month? That's 3/4's of the year you would be doing good, instead of 3/52's. Who knows, it may even become a constant habit!