The Jan. 2 edition of USA Today contained a comparison of the two most common New Year resolutions : (1) Exercise/Diet More and (2) Manage Money Better. The graph compared the number of people making this resolution in 2009 vs. 2012. In 2012, 44 percent of people committed to exercising and dieting more vs. 40 percent in 2009. In 2012, 41 percent committed to managing their money better vs. 39 perent in 2009. Looks like more people are committed more than ever to improving the two biggest aspects of their lives – health and wealth.
However, let’s face the facts. Most of us have committed to one, if not both of those goals, at the start of each new year. The problem is that both resolutions are ripe with the same potential pitfalls: not understanding how you spend your money (or in the case of dieting what you are eating), failure to plan, and/or lack of discipline.