THE NEW YEAR is when many of us hit the reset button. It’s a chance to reflect on the past 12 months, reassess priorities and set new goals.
If you’re looking to create some better financial habits in 2025, here’s some techniques to help you get control of your money.
1
Create a budget you can stick to
Extreme changes to your spending habits may appear to deliver immediate results, but they can be difficult to maintain over the medium and long-term.
Focusing on a range of budgeting strategies, that are sustainable, will greatly increase your chances of sticking to them.
Automate payments and savings deposits, so money moves to where it needs to go before you have a chance to spend it.
Regularly check the progress of your mortgage and savings accounts to stay motivated and reinforce good habits.
2
Use apps to manage your money
Gone are the days when you needed to set up a complicated spreadsheet to track your spending.
Many lenders do this automatically for you to make it easy to categorise your spending and quickly review your finances.
If an envelope-based budgeting system has worked in the past for you, then Goodbudget is the digital equivalent, which allows you to assign chunks of your income towards different spending categories.
Some budgeting apps, including Goodbudget and Fudget, also give you the option of manually entering your account balances, rather than syncing to your bank accounts.
3
Cut back on non-essentials
Do you really need that takeaway coffee on your way to work? Look at your discretionary spending and where you can cut back or swap something for a cheaper alternative.
From making your own morning coffee and meal-prepping lunches, to cancelling that streaming service you barely use, a series of small changes can add up to big savings without significantly impacting your lifestyle.
Seek out free activities and entertainment, such as a walk on the beach, a picnic at a local park or a family game night.
4
Consider consolidating debt
Debt consolidation is when all existing debts are brought together into one new loan. This can reduce monthly liabilities to improve your cash-flow.
Other reasons to consider debt consolidation are the simplicity of one repayment, potential savings on interest rates and fees, and more manageable repayments.
5
Consider your financial goals
Whether your goal is to get into the property market for the first time or upgrade or buy an investment property, buying a property is one of the biggest purchases you’ll make in your lifetime and one that could set you up for financial security.
Getting in control of your finances can assist in saving for a deposit and qualifying for pre-approval with a lender.
You might have other goals to consider such as holiday planning, a new car or retirement.
A good financial plan will consider all these important life events and hopefully help you attain your goals and dreams.
NOTE:
Your full financial needs and requirements need to be assessed prior to any offer or acceptance of a loan product.
Credit Representative 522752 (Smooth Sailing Finance Solutions) is authorised under Australian Credit Licence 389328.
