Top 10 Bad Money Habits To Break Right Now to Secure Your Financial Future

Join 34,000+ Traders & Investors by getting our FREE weekly Sunday Cheat Sheet email. Get key market news and events before everyone else. Click Here to See if you Qualify.

Have you been trying to reach your financial goals, but they always seem out of reach? Has this been happening consistently over months and years? If the answer is ‘yes’, you need to evaluate your money habits and how you handle your finances. Many of us overspend every month or are living paycheck to paycheck without realizing how toxic and harmful these money habits are and what they are doing to our financial situation and how they impact you in the long-term for retirement. We would all like to reach our financial goals at a particular time; to do that; we must eliminate these bad financial habits. While it may seem as simple as “save more, spend less”, there are certain habits that get most people in trouble from having an emergency fund, or any retirement savings ultimately seeming like financial freedom is a pipe dream.

Bad Money Habits You Need to break in 2023

Here are ten toxic money habits that are stopping you from reaching your financial goals:

1. No Financial Planning or Budgeting

If you are someone who does not plan how to manage their monthly spending, you may not reach your financial goals any time soon. You will overspend, impulse buy, and make unwise financial decisions when you don’t have a financial plan or at least a monthly budget. Even if you have a high income, a lack of a financial plan or strategy for managing and spending money can lead you further away from your financial goals as you won’t be saving money efficiently. You can start planning your finances by having a list that will guide and restrict you on how and where you spend your money. Create a budget with monthly expenses organized by category like groceries, living expenses, utilities, fuel is another great way to help you stay accountable for your financial decisions.

2. No Financial Discipline

Staying financially disciplined may be difficult for some people. A proper savings plan can help you save money each month. However, reaching your financial goals will be very difficult if you spend all the money you save through planning or spend more than your monthly income. Spending money is easier than resisting the urge to buy things that may be unnecessary. Therefore, in addition to having a budget, you must also be financially disciplined to ensure that you are not spending more than you are required to each month which definitely help with your financial future. One hack is to give yourself a small reward for sticking with your budget. 

Related: 8 Best Stock Market Podcasts You Need to Listen to in 2023

3. Depending on Credit Cards

Credit card dependency is one of the worst money habits you can develop. Many people use their credit cards for impulse purchases and make only the ‘minimum due’ payment. You must make credit payments regularly, and if you have difficulty paying your credit card debts, you will be in severe financial trouble. Credit card interest rate adds up very quickly. Making minimum payments to your credit can hurt your credit score rather than help it because of the unpaid balances that reflect on your reports. Don’t depend on your credit cards too much, as this will not help you reach your financial goals any time soon. If you are in card debt, you must get out of debt as fast as possible. You can do this by transferring credit card debt to lower interest line of credits to lower your month interest cost. 

One hack could be to withdraw a certain amount of cash per week. This way you are limited to that amount and cannot overspend. For smaller purchases you can use change like quarters to cover smaller expenses like paying for parking or buying a coffee. 

4. Unrealistic Financial Goals

While setting your financial goals, it is essential to stay in the realm of reality. Having vague and exaggerated goals with no timeline will lead you further away from gaining financial success. If your goals do not align with your lifestyle, achieving them will be more difficult. You can set short-term goals that will help you in the long term and begin practicing money habits that will help you save rather than spend more. You must set these goals on your own and not allow outside influence to creep in, as everyone’s goals may not be the same.

5. Not Investing

No one became a millionaire through a savings account. While this is a great way to ensure you don’t spend all your money, a savings account doesn’t help your money grow. Investing is a great way to make more money and reach your financial goals. You can make many mistakes while investing, so it is necessary to research and ensure that you are investing in the right market to grow your finances. Try to make a habit that any extra money is invested in either high interest savings account, dividend stocks, or a diversified long-term portfolio. If you are still a teenager, picking up a job would be wise so that you can begin investing your savings at an earlier age.

Related: Top 25 Best Books on Investing and Stocks You Need to Read in 2023

6. Unnecessary Purchases

Impulsive buying and emotional spending have resulted in many unnecessary purchases that can lead to spending more than is required. One of the most common examples of impulsive buying is through shopping on online apps or stores and seeing deals that can be irresistible. Shopping or eating out is also a way that many people use to deal with unwanted stress or anxiety, leading to unnecessary purchases.

To ensure that you do not go over your budget or to avoid making unnecessary purchases, it is advisable to buy an item after a week or more of leaving it in your cart. After some time has passed, and you still require the article, then you can purchase it. You can also put time restrictions on your shopping apps to ensure that you are not spending too much time on them and more than necessary. This is a horrible money habit that you must get rid of ASAP!

7. No Financial Literacy

Financial literacy is crucial to reach your financial goals. Financial literacy includes using different financial skills like budgeting, management, tracking your spending, and investing, leading to financial success. There are many ways to become more financially literate. You can read financial books, podcasts, or even talk to a financial expert. Getting on track with your finances and becoming financially literate is never too early. It is a great way to reach your financial goals sooner rather than later.

8. Being Impatient

Having financial goals and working towards achieving these goals may become complicated once you start. Unforeseen challenges and difficulties may arise that can you astray from the path that you are on. During times like these, you may be required to step out of your budget or spend your savings sooner than expected. Results are not seen overnight, and creating a habit of more mindful spending and working on your financial skills will ensure that you reach your financial goals sooner than spending without budgets or not investing. It is advised to be more patient with the process. Patience is a very underrated money habit.

9. Falling Prey to Lifestyle Inflation

Getting promotions and earning more money is significant when you want to reach your financial goals. However, generating a higher income can lead to increased spending habits and a lifestyle that requires more unnecessary spending. Instead of falling prey to this excessive spending, it is advisable to use it for investing or saving to help reach your financial goals sooner. Breaking the habit of spending more than required can be difficult, but it will be more beneficial for building your financial success. Take a look at these Warren Buffett’s 10 frugal habits to beat inflation.

10. Keeping up with the Joneses

It is effortless to compare our financial success to others. However, having expensive cars and luxurious clothes or bags may not correspond to someone’s financial situation. Comparing your material possessions to others can lead you to spend more money. You are sticking to the financial skills and money habits you have developed and working towards your long term goals instead of unnecessarily spending to compete with others.

Most of us have these toxic money habits without realizing it. We must break out of these habits to reach our financial goals. This may not be easy, but developing smarter money habits will help us long term.

This Options Discord Chat is The Real Deal

While the internet is scoured with trading chat rooms, many of which even charge upwards of thousands of dollars to join, this smaller options trading discord chatroom is the real deal and actually providing valuable trade setups, education, and community without the noise and spam of the larger more expensive rooms. With a incredibly low-cost monthly fee, Options Trading Club (click here to see their reviews) requires an application to join ensuring that every member is dedicated and serious about taking their trading to the next level. If you are looking for a change in your trading strategies, then click here to apply for a membership.

Join the #1 Exclusive Community for Stock Investors

Join 34,000+ Traders & Investors by getting our FREE weekly Sunday Cheat Sheet email. Get key market news and events before everyone else. Click Here to See if you Qualify.

This Options Discord Chat is The Real Deal

While the internet is scoured with trading chat rooms, many of which even charge upwards of thousands of dollars to join, this smaller options trading discord chatroom is the real deal and actually providing valuable trade setups, education, and community without the noise and spam of the larger more expensive rooms. With a incredibly low-cost monthly fee, Options Trading Club (click here to see their reviews) requires an application to join ensuring that every member is dedicated and serious about taking their trading to the next level. If you are looking for a change in your trading strategies, then click here to apply for a membership.

Revir Media Group
447 Broadway
2nd FL #750
New York, NY 10013