FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact:
Kelly Rote
Kelly.Rote@moneymanagement.org
713-394-3201
HOUSTON (December 30, 2004) – Those who experience
financial trouble because of overspending during the holidays will tell you
that the resulting debt is no way to begin the New Year. The New Year offers the perfect opportunity
to set attainable financial goals.
Consumer Credit Counseling Services offers these examples of financial
New Year’s resolutions:
1. I will make informed financial decisions,
understanding the difference between wants and needs.
2. I will communicate with my family about money
matters so that we are all working toward the same goals.
4. I will take care of my finances today by tracking expenses and creating
a budget that is flexible and realistic.
5. I will take care of my finances tomorrow by saving for my future.
6. I will meet the credit obligations I have made
on time and as agreed.
7. I will continue my personal education about
financial health, budgeting, credit, and personal debt.
8. I will plan for periodic expenses, including
the next holiday season.
9. By good example, I will teach my children the
importance of budgeting, saving, and the wise use of credit.
However, setting financial resolutions and
keeping them are two different matters. In fact, many Americans are still
paying off the ghosts of many Christmas’ past. CCCS offers the following advice
for keeping your financial resolutions:
1. Make sure your goals are realistic and
flexible. If you set your goals too
high, frustration will keep you from keeping them.
2. Remind yourself of your goals on a regular
basis. At the very least, you should write your goals down and post them where
you will see them every day.
3. Surround yourself with photographs of your
goals. For example, if your goal is to save enough money to go to Hawaii, try
cutting pictures of Hawaiian scenes out of magazines and plastering them around
your home or car, or tacking them to the bulletin board next to your desk.
4.
Once you’ve
decided what you are going to accomplish, be confident. Tell everyone you know
that you are going to achieve that goal. The commitment of declaring your
intentions makes it a lot harder to quit when times get a little tough.
About Money Management International
Consumer Credit Counseling Services (CCCS), a division of Money Management International (MMI), is the nation’s largest non-profit, full-service credit counseling agency, providing confidential financial guidance, counseling and debt management assistance to consumers since 1981. CCCS helps consumers trim their expenses, develop a workable spending plan and repay debts. Counseling is available by appointment in branch offices and 24/7 by telephone and Internet. Services are available in English or Spanish. To learn more, call 800-762-2271 or visit MMI's website at www.moneymanagement.org