credit: freedigitalphotos.net by Stuart Miles

Well it’s over a week into the New Year and I’m finally getting to this post. So my New Year’s resolution should probably be to stop procrastinating! Actually, I don’t like to make New Year’s resolutions because I almost never follow through with them anyway. But with a New Year and a new start, here are a few things that I think should be on everyone’s to do list. Plus, these are pretty simple and easy to do.

Make a Budget

I have to admit that my wife and I don’t really have a budget. I know what you’re thinking, “what kind of personal finance blogger doesn’t make a budget?” Well, my wife and I have listed all of our expenses and made a determination as to how much we should save each month, but we don’t track our spending. We live within our means and are pretty frugal, so there was no real need to have one. Keeping a budget just seems like too much of a hassle. But I’ve been reading a lot about Personal Capital from fellow bloggers and finally tried it out. I like the interface and the ability to see all my accounts on one site. No more having to log on to each individual account to see how it’s doing. It also tracks our expenses which will be helpful to see if there are leaks in our budget that can be cut. Also, Personal Capital is free so why not try it? To read a more thorough review, check out the review from Jacob who blogs at Cash Cow Couple.

Start Investing/Invest More

If you are still on the fence about whether you should start investing, well you really shouldn’t be. As I posted in When Lazy and Cheap is Better, investing does not have to be time consuming or complicated. So, if you haven’t started saving and investing for the future, now is the time to do it. Start contributing to your 401k. Go open an IRA account.

Whenever I read articles about starting to invest at a young age, I pat myself on my back for starting to invest in my 401K plan and opening an IRA retirement plan when I first started working. After reading an article from Matt who blogs at Mom and Dad Money, I realized that good habits can go bad. While, I’ve increased my contributions into my 401K plan, my IRA contributions have stayed the same. Yes, I still contribute the same amount as when I just started out and was making a much lower income. That pat on my back has turned into the kick in the butt I need. I will be increasing the amount that I contribute into my IRA.

Travel for free

One of my big regrets is not getting into travel hacking sooner. I did churn a couple of cards and received 2 free roundtrip tickets and a stay at a luxurious hotel, among other things. But now with a little baby, I don’t know if I’ll be traveling much in the near future. In addition, we are looking at taking on a mortgage, so we don’t want any dings on our credit report. But, I will definitely be looking to get back into the game ASAP. If you want to learn a little more about traveling for free, check out How to Travel the World for Pennies on Budgets are Sexy. I’ve told many friends and family about traveling for pennies using credit card rewards and bonuses, but many are skeptical or don’t want to make an effort to do it. For those who need some extra hand-holding, Brad from Richmondsavers offers a free travel rewards coaching program where he will teach you how to travel for free. His blog also offers instructional guides to travel to different locations for free, so make sure to check it out.