When the clock struck midnight on December 31st, 2012, did you celebrate the accomplishment of your financial goals? If you are like most people, probably not. Most people don’t accomplish financial goals for one very simple, silly little reason: they don’t set financial goals. That’s it. That’s the reason. People don’t move forward financially year to year because they don’t have a path. It’s time to make a path. This financial path is one of the most practical things you will ever do.

You need to set financial goals. The goals need to be short and sweet. Here’s how it works: I want to get my Visa balance down to $500 by February 28th. You could also try: I’d like to increase my savings account balance by $250 by March 15th. This is important for a very simple reason: we all have problem areas (dining out, clothes, etc), but we struggle to change our spending patterns in these areas unless we have goals to offset the behavior. Your willingness to cutback on dining out will result in you reaching your short term financial goals. No goals equals no accountability in your problem areas. Set new financial goals every 30 days. Before you know it, you’ll be toasting your financial success on December 31st, 2013.

For more information and tips from Pete the Planner, please visit his website, check out his radio show, watch him on TV, or take a look at his new column in the IndyStar.

And, don’t forget, as faculty or staff of Butler University, you have FREE access to all of Pete the Planner’s financial resources from GreenCandy.com!

This site is the comprehensive home to all of Pete the Planner’s financial wellness guides, videos, worksheets, calculators, and all other resources needed to make significant financial change.

In order to access the site, you will need to follow the steps below:

Step 1: Visit http://greencandy.com
Step 2: Look for the word “Register” at the top of the page and click it.
Step 3: Enter the following registration code: bulldogs

*Please note, this resource is for Butler faculty and staff only.*