If you are working hard to get your financial health in shape, you know it can sometimes be exhausting and limiting. An important part of getting out of debt — be it from a personal loan or a mortgage loan — is recognizing the progress you have made and avoid repayment or savings fatigue. Allowing yourself to enjoy the results of your hard work and take advantage of the present may actually keep you motivated.
Make a Plan
The first step in reaching a milestone is setting one. To help put your financial situation into a timeline or framework it can be a good idea to think of some savings, spending, and repayment goals and write them down. We are often more likely to achieve success if we have recognized and recorded what that means to us. From small to big, you can set a range of measurable, attainable objectives and create strategies to reach them. For example, if you want to improve your credit score 50 points, it likely won’t happen overnight. (You can check your credit scores for free on Credit.com every month to monitor your progress.)
Identify & Share Your Success
Now that your goals are written down, you have to track your progress and be sure you stay on task to meet those goals. Whether you want to check in daily, weekly, or monthly, just check regularly enough that you will recognize when a goal is met, identify what strategies led to the success, and get ready for a little celebration. And don’t be afraid to tell your friends and family about it too! Reaching goals doesn’t have to be a secret — in fact, sometimes the recognition you get from sharing your accomplishment with a loved one feels like celebration in itself.
Frugal Celebration Ideas
Now that you have achieved a goal and are looking for some affordable ways to celebrate a financial win without erasing all your progress, consider what little things can provide the most joy. From going out to dessert or for a movie date to making a small purchase like a magazine or out-of-the norm day trip, there are plenty of options to reward your hard work. It’s important to make sure you set a budget for your celebration and stick to it so this win doesn’t leave you at a loss or undo all of your hard work.
Don’t let yourself get too tied up in your financial goals that you forget to enjoy yourself or leave yourself feeling so restricted you end up on a major spending spree in rebellion. Reaching a milestone feels good, and you should get to enjoy that moment — without throwing off your financial future. So set a reward budget, enjoy the rush of that financial win the way you want, and get back to working on your next set of goals. Remember, you don’t save money to deprive yourself, but rather to give yourself something better — a strong financial future.
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