New year, new habits — at least that what many Americans strive for when declaring a new year’s resolution, especially after the year that 2021 was! Resetting the calendar can feel like the perfect time to wipe the slate clean and set a new course toward personal growth.

Here are a few steps toward a more meaningful — and sustainable — resolution or goal for the new year.

Money can help catapult you closer to larger life goals making rewarding milestones, like buying your first home or retiring early, a reality. On the flipside, the lack of money can also feel like a setback keeping those very goals away from arms reach.

Knowing what the most common triggers of financial stress are — and ways to manage them — can help you feel more empowered about your financial health.

Here at The Financial Gym, we are all about making small changes that won’t impact your day-to-day life too much, but will impact your budget (for the better!). Many of these changes have positive effects outside of their impact on you. Below are a list of six things that we think you can easily cut back on (or cut out!) for a month (or more!) that will substantially lower expenses, without too much of a lifestyle change.

The holidays are known to be the season of giving, but don’t let the joyous time of year lure you into a false sense of security. During the holidays, potential scammers have tactics that continuously change to catch unsuspecting shoppers off-guard.

There are many types of online shopping scams, so make sure to be vigilant about who you give your private information to by back-checking all sources of inquiry. Here’s what you need to know.

The holiday season is in full swing, giving you a chance to bring joy with a well-thought-out gift while also making an impact in your community.

Big box stores and e-commerce retailers may dominate the advertising space during the holidays, but small businesses and local artisans provide unique, quality gifts that promote sustainability and local economic growth.

One question our trainers always receive is “what is your favorite podcast?” Many of our trainers are avid podcast-listeners and love listening to new podcasts-- so much so that we even have a whole slack channel dedicated to our favorite podcast episodes!

The first question I get when I meet new people is typically “What do you do?”

My answer, of course, is that I’m a Certified Financial Trainer with The Financial Gym. But that usually prompts the next question, “Oh. So what do you do?”

When winter hits, so do the unexpected expenses. From sudden home repairs like frozen pipes to purchasing seasonal gifts or booking expensive flights to visit family members, winter expenses can add up fast. It can be hard to know how to save money on short notice, but it’s simple with the right preparation and knowledge of seasonal deals.

Manifesting money can look different for each and every person. There is certainly not a “one size fits all” approach to manifesting money. It can come from a place of need or desire, but it always starts with a positive and an open-minded attitude. Here are some tips to start manifesting today!

If you receive a call from a debt collection agency, you might be unsure of whether or not you should answer. The Fair Debt Collection Practices Act (FDCPA) requires debt collectors to adhere to a strict set of requirements when reaching out to consumers about a debt in collection. Knowing your consumer rights and what to expect from a debt collector can help you navigate a debt collection call more smoothly and with confidence.

Trying to find ways to get a handle on your debt? You might consider debt consolidation, a process that can simplify your debt and possibly lower the amount you pay in interest on your loans. If you’ve been wondering how to consolidate debt there are several approaches you can take. Here are the pros and cons of debt consolidation.

Many of us were never taught how to manage credit cards or how they even work. Let’s start off with some basics before jumping into how to pay down your debt faster.

First off, you should download your credit card statement so you understand what’s on it. While credit card statements are organized differently depending on the creditor, each of them have the same features.

So, you have a great credit score, your spending is under control, and you want to maximize your great score by getting into the habit of using cards that earn you points and save you money.

Great news! While we always recommend that you resist the urge to rack up points until you know that you aren’t going to rack up debt, once you’ve reached that milestone, using cards to your advantage is a great part of your overall financial strategy.

Open Enrollment season is upon us, and with it the yearly opportunity to make sure we’re taking advantage of all the workplace perks we are entitled to. This means checking that we’ve signed on to get tax breaks on commuting, health care costs, and child care. It also means being sure we’re enrolled in our retirement accounts so we can build wealth to secure our future.

Last year, in an effort to help student loan borrowers through the financial crisis that COVID-19 brought upon us, the Federal Government suspended payments and interest accrual on most Federal student loans. At first, this administrative forbearance was slated to last until October of 2021. Since then, the student loan pause has been extended twice, but we have been promised that this is the last time. Federal student loans will go back into repayment as of January 31, 2022.

I’m so sorry that you are dealing with this. Having to cope with unjust and unconstitutional violations of your right to choose should not happen to anyone, and we are appalled by how far reaching this legislation is. And from a financial perspective, we know that this law can be devastating to women. For those who aren’t aware, here is some background for understanding how dire the situation is: SB 8 (formally known as Texas Senate Bill 8) is a law that went into effect on September 1st, 2021 that bans abortion in Texas as soon as a “heartbeat” can be detected in an embryo, which happens at about 6 weeks.

As a Trainer, I always ask my clients to track their spending. After all, it's hard to know how much you can save or invest if you don’t know what’s coming in and going out! One pain point we hit on often is that people think it’s not a good time to track spending because something out of the ordinary is happening. Maybe it’s vacation time, a holiday, a houseguest will be visiting, or any number of other little things that come up in life seem to conspire so that it doesn’t seem like the spending we’ll be tracking is “typical” enough.

Eight years ago, I delivered a pro-bono financial plan to a former co-worker; and after I had gone through all of her numbers with her, she said, “You know you’re saving my life, right?” Those words hit me like a lightning bolt. At this point, I had been delivering financial plans for almost two years, and no one had said anything like that to me.

Although they should only be used as a last resort, 401(k) loans can be a helpful tool to get you through a rough time or to help you contribute to a downpayment for a primary residence. A 401k loan entails taking a loan from your retirement and paying it back over time with money that is deducted directly from your paycheck. Not all 401(k)s allow loans, but many do.

“I’m starting Monday!” Ahhhh… the age-old excuse for why you’re not in a fitness routine right now. We can put this excuse with “I don’t have time.” Let it live next door to “I have no motivation.” The funny thing is that you do have motivation to do some things. You’re reading this blog post right now, so I’ll safely guess that you’re motivated to change your relationship with money. The money that you have has been earned, so somewhere, whether it is out of pure necessity or the enjoyment you get out of work, you have found the motivation to make money. Let’s start there.