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This post is part of the START SAVING Challenge.

START SAVING Challenge: Day #1

Today’s easy saving task:

• Identify your saving promises, use the saving promise worksheet to write them down, and share them with someone.

Welcome to your first day of the START SAVING challenge! Today we are going to talk about your saving promises (we will get to why we are calling them promises instead of goals a little later). Most people think they don’t make enough to save, they have too much debt, too many financial obligations, and no wiggle room to actually start saving for the things they really want. I am here to tell you that it doesn’t matter how much you make or your circumstances, if you don’t have the tools, the right attitude, or knowledge about saving, you won’t be able to save successfully.

For today’s challenge, I want you to determine your SPECIFIC saving promises. You might identify something like this, “I promise to save $300 in 6 months.” Make sure each promise can answer the following questions:

1. What? – I promise to save $300.
2. When? – I promise to save $300 by January 1st.
3. How? – I promise to save $300 by January 1st. I will reduce my spending by only bringing packed lunch to work and cutting out my coffee runs in the morning.
4. Why? – I promise to save $300 by January 1st for my son’s soccer program.

It’s completely OK, if you are not sure on the how. Try to think of ways you can reach your saving promises, and give it your best shot. We will go over the HOW later in the challenge. It is important that you determine the WHAT & WHEN. Your promises will be much more effective if you can get specific. This gives you a clear picture on what you want to accomplish and makes it easier to set up an actionable plan.

Once you have your specific promises written down,  I want you to place them somewhere in your home where you can see them every day. This might mean sticking your promise list on the bathroom mirror or on the kitchen fridge. This will be a constant reminder and keep you thinking about it on a regular basis. It’s important that you are reminded of the “promises” you want to achieve so you don’t lose track of the big picture. Look at it this way, your financial goals are not just goals. They are promises you are making to yourself. It’s easy to let your goals fall through the cracks; for you not to take them seriously. But what about a promise to yourself? Not following through on a promise is a lot harder than not following through on a goal. So look at your goal list as promises you are making to yourself.

Make sure to share your saving promises with someone you can trust. Also, feel free to share them in the COMMENTS below rather than emailing me. How exciting!! I would love to read your comments.

I have created a great promise worksheet for you to use for Day #1 of the challenge. Make sure you download your FREE copy of the Promise Worksheet below!

Click HERE to download your FREE worksheet

NEXT STEPS:

• Having accountability for your saving promises is crucial. Remember, this challenge is not about making you feel helpless. You got this! Choose someone else who is participating in the START SAVING challenge so you can work together as accountability partners. Check the comments below and see who else is participating. You can even organize your own group to work through the tasks together! If you can’t find someone to reach out to, no worries! Make sure to reach out to other TBM Family members, which is a private Facebook group filled with amazing Budget Mom readers. This is a place to ask questions, get support, and receive motivation for your START SAVING journey. You can join this amazing family HERE.
• Share what you are saving for on social media. Use #startsavingchallenge & tag me @thebudgetmom so I can see your announcement to the world! Whoo-hooo!

Day #1 RECAP:

• Writing down your saving promises brings them to life and gives them power
• Keeping them in a place where you can see them keeps you thinking about them
• Having a partner keeps you accountable and gives you a support system – plus you might make a life long friend!
• Make sure to share your saving promises with me in the comments below rather than emailing me.

[tweetthis twitter_handles=”@thebudgetmom”]Today I identify my saving promises! Day 1 #StartSavingChallenge[/tweetthis]

THAT’S IT friends! You just made a huge step in your saving journey! Everyone has to start somewhere – we all start at the beginning and the beginning is a GREAT place to start! So let’s do this! Write down your saving promises, find your partner for accountability, and share your saving promises with the TBM Family and with me in the comments below!

FIND ME HERE:

FACEBOOK: @thebudgetmom
TWITTER: @the_budget_mom
INSTAGRAM: @thebudgetmom
FORUM: TBM Family

kumiko Ehrmantraut

A little about me: I love helping women take charge of their financial lives. As an Accredited Financial Counselor, I love teaching about money management and realistic budgeting. Away from the computer, you can usually find me behind a camera lens or coloring with my 4-year-old son.

Want to share your financial journey with me? Tag @thebudgetmom on Instagram or give me a shout-out on Facebook. I WANNA SEE IT!