| Have you put a lot of great budget changes to | | | | creeping back into your lifestyle is to change |
| work for you only to find yourself backsliding time | | | | them completely. So, keep using cash, or return |
| and again? Keep trying. Just like a work out | | | | to using cash, if you've given it up. Don't let |
| routine, the more you do it, the easier it gets. | | | | yourself start slipping out that credit or debit |
| Here are a few tips to help you re-commit to | | | | card-"just this time"-or before you know it, you'll |
| being financially fit. | | | | have blown your budget once again. There was |
| Take it slow and easy | | | | life before plastic-and you can survive without it. |
| Don't try and do everything at once. It's easier to | | | | Lots of people do. |
| make small changes, and then only one at a time. | | | | Check it on payday |
| Add a new change only when you think the old | | | | Monitor your accounts at least every two |
| habit has really been set aside, once and for all. | | | | weeks-payday is a good choice because we |
| Use your new habit to help you quash the old | | | | never forget that date. Schedule yourself to look |
| one. Let's say you want to reduce how much you | | | | at the spending, payments, and balances of all |
| spend at the movies, how many DVD's you rent | | | | your accounts then-and every time there's a |
| each week, and how much television you watch. | | | | cheque deposited to your account. |
| Don't say "no" to all of these things all at once. | | | | It's much easier to look over a few lines on your |
| Try cutting movie going by one-half, DVD's to | | | | statement for the week than an entire month's |
| only weekends, and don't worry about television | | | | worth (or worse-six months' worth or longer). |
| at first. Once you get the movies and DVD's | | | | You can always remember when you pulled out |
| down pat, then try working on the television | | | | that credit card last week, and make changes to |
| viewing. Go slow, and only do as much as you | | | | keep you from doing so next week. Do you find |
| can. | | | | yourself always buying expensive extras from |
| Monitor, monitor, monitor | | | | the gas stop whenever you fill up? Maybe |
| If you aren't looking at the spending in all your | | | | someone else in the household needs to buy the |
| accounts-chequing, credit cards, lines of credit at | | | | gas, and you need to stay out of the corner |
| least every two weeks-and once a week is | | | | store. But it's a lot easier to keep up the good |
| better-new commitments can easily backslide into | | | | habits if you're catching and halting the bad ones |
| old bad habits. And when old debt starts to mount | | | | every week or two and not every month or |
| up again, and you feel overwhelmed, it can be all | | | | longer. |
| too easy to just give up, and return to all those | | | | Re-committing to good budget habits is just like a |
| ways that got you into trouble in the first place. | | | | fitness routine. Every time you skip one, it's easier |
| So watch your accounts like the proverbial hawk | | | | to blow the whole thing off-but every time you |
| for old spending habits, and quash them as quickly | | | | do a financial work out, you're in better shape for |
| as you can. | | | | whatever budget issues might come at you in the |
| Make the changes that make the difference | | | | future. |
| The easiest way to keep bad habits from | | | | |