New Year's Resolution

I guess this is a bit of confession time.

I'm not terribly big on new years resolutions and practically never make a list. But, the first of the year, after the holiday season (Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Year, sister visit, funeral) has broken some normal routines, seems to be a good time to make some changes.

Since I don't make a list, I'm not sure how many things I'll be changing this year, but the one I'm working on this week is financial habits. I've developed some TERRIBLE financial habits over the last several years. I quit balancing my check-book regularly in grad school and in recent years have started severly procrastinating paying bills. Now it isn't that I can't afford to pay my bills; it's just that I don't take the time to do it.

Last summer, I changed my banking account so that I have free online bill pay. In December, I finally got around to exploring the option and paid a few of my bills that way. Now that I've done it and am a bit more comfortable with it, I'm working on setting up as many of my payments as I can to be paid that way--everything from my clogging dues to my credit card bill.

Hopefully, I'll be able to come back to you in a few months and exclaim over how convenient and less-stressful this has helped to make my life!