Financial goals you can set for 2015 that will still be in tact by 2016.

We all set financial goals when a new year’s just around the corner, but unfortunately most of us struggle to stick to them. Goals of any kind are a lot of pressure, and plant the idea in our heads that we’re not going to be happy – or our life won’t really begin – until after our goal is met. But then we meet the goal and set a new one, and the cycle of torture starts all over again.

Instead of focusing on the end result of your financial goals, focus on the process of getting there. Think cyclically: Instead of saying, “I’m going to save $3,000 by the end of the year,” say, “Every payday I’m going to put away X number of dollars.” Focus on the simple act of sticking to your schedule, and before you know it you’ll have way more than $3,000 in your savings – plus the added bonus of feeling a sense of accomplishment at the close of every cycle.

You can create cycles for each financial goal you want to set, and use the end of each cycle to reassess for the next one. The easiest way to do this would be to align each cycle to your weekly, biweekly or monthly pay schedule.

Here are 7 financial goals you can accomplish on a cyclical basis:

1. Make more money

You’d be surprised at how many of us only have a general idea of how much we bring in each month – which is not cool for those of us who aren’t on a salary. It’s important to reassess this number every month in case any adjustments to your budget need to be made so you don’t go into debt. From here, you can make plans to gradually increase your income.

2. Stick to your budget

If you want to stand a chance at reaching your financial goals this year, then you have to create a budget. List your monthly expenses that don’t budge – mortgage/rent, car payment, cell, etc. – then deduct this amount from your monthly income to see what you have left to work with. Use what’s left and create spending limits for your groceries, gas, entertainment, and any other fluid expenses you have. Then you know, stick to it.

3. Spend less

With your new budget in hand, take it for a test drive. At the end of every month, reassess to figure out what categories you may need to add more money to, what categories you can save money on, and (if applicable) how much you’ll be able to put toward your debts the following month. Tracking your spending makes the difference between steering your financial ship safely – or hitting an iceberg, especially since more often than not we spend more than we think we do.

4. Pay your bills on time

Using your cell phone, iPad calendar or a service like Mint, collect the due dates for your bills and set reminders to ensure you never have to deal with late payment fees again.

5. Improve your credit score

Errors in credit score reports are more common than we’d like to believe, and could be what’s standing in your way of scoring better interest rates for your loans and credit cards. Make it a point to check on your credit score every quarter to decide what improvements you should make.

6. Start an emergency fund

They say you should keep an average of three to six months worth of expenses in a savings account just in case something crazy happens – your car breaks down, your relationship falls apart, or an anvil falls on your head. (Kidding. Sort of.) Instead of panicking over the fact that your savings account has 35 cents in it, think cyclically: “I’ll take X number of dollars out of each pay check and place it into a high interest savings account.” Do yourself one better and setup an automatic transfer through your bank.

7. Pay down your debts

List all of your debts and decide what order you want to pay them off in. Make sure your minimum payments are covered in your budget first, then decide how much you can swing in the form of additional payments and add them to your cyclical schedule. Bam.

What are your financial goals for the new year?

Related on EcoSalon

4 Ways the Sharing Economy Can Save You Money

10 Ways Women Can Save Money Now on Everyday Essentials

The Lazy Girl’s Guide to Simplifying, Saying No and Saving Money

Image: Tax Credits

The post 7 Financial Goals You Can Actually Stick to In 2015 appeared first on EcoSalon.

From deodorant to shaving cream, unisex clothing to dry cleaning, women pay more than men for their everyday essentials. Here are easy ways to save money on the products you buy most:

1. Use Coupons + Gift Cards
Follow your favorite stores on social media and subscribe to their mailing lists for up-to-the-minute deals you can save money with. Another great way to save money is by purchasing discounted gift cards (and alternately, selling gift cards you’re not going to use): Websites like Gift Card Granny sell unwanted gift cards at discounted prices (up to 85 percent off!).

2. Plan Ahead
There are always huge savings at the end of every season – stock up for next winter at the end of this winter, and keep track of your fave store’s semi-annual sales for crazy-amazing clearance prices. It’s also worth researching trailblazers who are helping women save money: Phil Masiello, for instance, is changing the way woman buy razors at 800razors.com.

3. Calculate Your Splurges
Let’s say you buy two different tops: One cheap, one expensive. If you calculate the cost of the tops based on how often you’re going to wear them instead of their initial cost, you might find the expensive top you’re going to wear hundreds of times costs less in the long run than the cheap top you’re only going to wear twice!

4. Try Before You Buy
How many times have you purchased a product and it turns out not to suit your needs? Before you purchase, see if there are samples available you can take home, or purchase a trial size. If you like it, you can buy the full-size version, and no harm no foul if you don’t.

5. Speak Up
Have you ever bought something and then the following week it popped up in a sale flyer? Instead of throwing up, mosey on over to the store with your receipt and ask for a price match. (I mean, c’mon here people!)

6. Buy Multipurpose Products
All cosmetic companies now make 2-in-1 and 3-in-1 products, which will help you save money and space in your makeup bag. “Don’t let companies limit the way you use a particular beauty product,” says Miranda Reiter, Certified Financial Planner and founder of She & Money. “Use conditioner instead of shave gel, use baking soda and peroxide as toothpaste. Just because the packaging doesn’t give you permission to do so doesn’t mean you can’t.”

7. Buy No-Name Brands
“I’m one of those girls easily pulled in by pretty packaging,” says Sonia Baghdady, fashion/beauty coach for “Veria Living Live” and founder of Style Confessions. “But don’t discount the drug store when it comes to beauty.” Take mascara for example: “The biggest difference you’ll find between some higher priced mascara and their drugstore counterparts is the wand.” Baghdady suggests indulging in one tube of the higher priced mascara, saving and washing the wand, and using it with a drugstore brand instead. (This will save you roughly $22 per tube!)

8. Go DIY
Very few things are more relaxing than getting your nails and toes done at a salon, but if you do this regularly it’ll run you roughly $1,000 per year (and depending on the add-on services you choose, maybe more!). Invest in your fave colors and maintain your fingers and toes at home. This will save you about $850+ per year! Save more by hosting mani/pedi get-togethers with your friends and swap colors.

9. Reuse / Repurpose
Jon Lal, smart shopping expert and founder of BeFrugal.com finds that women can save oodles of money if they reuse and repurpose items they already have. For example, using old tees and socks for rags, purchasing reusable cloth napkins instead of disposable, and using strong paper towels on your Swiffer handle instead of expensive Swiffer brand cleaning sheets. “They’re nearly the same size, and you can get it wet with a bit of water or cleaner first if you’d like,” he says.

10. Download Apps
There are plenty of apps out there to help you find the best discounts on everything from beauty products and clothing to travel and accessories. For example: Ibotta is a free mobile app where you can earn cash by purchasing your fave products. (Their users earned more than $5 million last year alone, and all on items they already buy.) When your balance reaches $5 or more, you can have the money transferred to your Paypal account or a gift card.

Many of your favorite stores likely have apps customized specifically for their customers to help them save on what they purchase most (For example, Target’s Cartwheel app).

What are your fave ways to save money on the essentials?

Related on EcoSalon

4 Ways The Sharing Economy Can Save You Money

The Fearless Wallet: Important Money Questions for Women

The Lazy Girl’s Guide to Simplifying, Saying No and Saving Money

Image: Tax Credits

The post 10 Ways Women Can Save Money Now on Everyday Essentials appeared first on EcoSalon.

Wondering how to save money while still giving meaningful holiday presents to those you love? Good news: the sharing economy can help.

I often feel very conflicted during the holidays. On one hand, I LOVE giving gifts. Discovering a present that I know will light up the eyes of a friend or family member is intoxicating to me. On the other hand, I realize how consumerism has absolutely ruined the true meaning of the holidays, and hate participating in the spending frenzy.

The rapidly growing sharing economy emphasizes access over ownership, placing more emphasis on positive experiences and relationships, rather than the acquisition of things that will eventually end up gathering dust on a shelf somewhere. Companies that facilitate this kind of collaborative consumption have been popping up left and right over the past few years. These services, most of which can be accessed online, make it easy to give gifts that will help grow the sharing economy, in addition to delivering affordable, eco-friendly experiences for those you love.

How To Save Money and Support The Sharing Economy During The Holidays

1. Give mobility – The number of bike and car sharing programs has exploded, both in the U.S. and around the world. Companies like B-Cycle, CitiBike, Zipcar, Enterprise CarShare, Car2Go and others make it possible to access energy-efficient vehicles on a short-term basis: gas, insurance, and parking included! (Also see Top 5 Cities in the World for Bike Sharing.)

2. Give toys – But not in the traditional sense. There’s nothing cheery about big box stores this year, so keep your money in your pocket. Instead, why not host a used toy exchange? Call up around a dozen people who have kids, and probably some gently used toys they’d like to get rid of (make sure a good range of age groups are represented). Then, choose a spot where everyone can come and show what they’ve got to share. Employ a bring one, take one policy. Everyone goes home with something new, and if there are leftovers, donate them to a local charity or thrift store.

3. Shop on yerdle – Touting the motto that “sharing is the new shopping” this beautiful iPhone app makes it incredibly easy to score awesome stuff (even electronics and jewelry) from people in your community. Everything will be new to you, and it’s all FREE!

4. Throw a feast. Giving gifts to immediate family is one thing, but when you start adding friends, coworkers, and the paper boy to the list, it starts to get out of control. Save money by gathering a group together for a shared meal instead. Instead of gifts, ask each friend to bring their favorite potluck dish, along with a few copies of the recipe. Everyone leaves with a full belly and a new dish for the recipe box.

5. Give experiences – If you’ve got adventurous friends who love to travel, or enjoy the occasional staycation, services like Vayable are a great way to deliver an unforgettable experience. Book your friend on a Midnight Street Food Crawl in NYC or forage for seafood in San Francisco. (Also see Seven Experiences to Give.)

6. Subscribe away – Instead of giving just one gift, that will eventually become broken or boring, why not give an entire year of gifts? Check out Pleygo (a Netflix-like service that delivers new LEGO kits each month), GetArtUp and Artsicle (pay a subscription fee to get new paintings for your home each month, many from local artists!), or local CSAs (community supported agriculture projects) and food co-ops. Just sign your friends up, and see the joy on their faces when the first installment arrives.

Related on Ecosalon:

4 Ways the Sharing Economy Can Save You Money

3 Ways the Sharing Economy Builds Strong Communities

3 Ways to Share Your Way to a Zero-Waste Lifestyle

Images: seanmcgrath, jonathanmcintosh

The post How To Save Money and Support The Sharing Economy During The Holidays appeared first on EcoSalon.