I failed at budgeting... until this

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The One Money Habit That Actually Stuck

Hey there, it's Ren here…

Can we talk about New Year's resolutions for a hot second?

You know how every January we're all "THIS IS MY YEAR!" with our fancy new planners and ambitious goals?

Well, I used to be the queen of financial resolutions that lasted exactly... 17 days.

Track every expense? Failed by day 3. Save 20% of income? Laughable. Meal prep to save money? My freezer became a graveyard of good intentions.

But there's ONE habit that somehow stuck. And honestly? It surprised me more than anyone.

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🤔 The Plot Twist Nobody Saw Coming

So what was this magical habit that transformed my finances?

Drumroll please...

I started paying myself first. Just $25 a week.

I know, I know. You're probably thinking "That's it? That's the big revelation?"

But hear me out! This wasn't some grand financial strategy. It was pure laziness disguised as genius.

💡 How It Started (Spoiler: By Accident)

Picture this: It's 2019, and I'm sitting on a bench collecting my thoughts after grocery shopping, looking at yet another receipt that made me want to cry.

My husband texts: "How much did we spend?"

Instead of my usual shame-spiral, I had this random thought: "What if I just... paid myself before I could spend it?"

So I opened my banking app right there in the parking lot and set up a $25 weekly transfer to savings.

Twenty-five dollars. The cost of a decent dinner out.

Why $25? Because it felt small enough that I wouldn't miss it, but big enough that it wasn't completely pointless.

✅ Why This Tiny Habit Became a Game-Changer

Here's what I discovered about this ridiculously simple approach:

It Removed Decision Fatigue No more "Should I save this week?" debates with myself. The money was gone before I could overthink it.

It Built Actual Momentum Week 1: "Cool, $25 saved" Week 4: "Oh wow, $100!" Week 12: "Wait, I have $300 just sitting here?"

It Made Saving Feel Normal After a few months, that $25 felt like a bill I paid to myself. Non-negotiable.

It Proved I Could Do It The confidence boost was HUGE. If I could stick to this, maybe I wasn't completely hopeless with money after all.

🎯 How to Make This Work for YOU

Start Stupidly Small

• $10 a week? Perfect.

• $5? Even better if that's your comfort zone.

• $1? Hey, it's still building the habit!

Automate It

• Set it up once and forget about it

• Schedule it for right after payday

• Make it harder to cancel than to keep going

Don't Touch It

• Separate account if possible

• Pretend it doesn't exist

• Resist the urge to "borrow" from yourself

Celebrate the Milestones

• $100 saved = victory dance

• $500 saved = tell someone who'll celebrate with you

• $1000 saved = you're officially a savings rockstar

🎯 Your Challenge This Week

Pick your ridiculously small amount. Set up that automatic transfer.

Then come back and tell me about it! (Seriously, I love hearing these stories.)

Because here's what I've learned: the best financial habit isn't the most impressive one. It's the one you'll actually stick to.

To your success (one tiny habit at a time),

Ren

P.S. That original $25 habit? It's still running. Some habits are just too good to mess with! 😊