End of the year is almost here, and 2019 is just around the corner. Though around this time of the year we love to spend money on family and friends, keeping a healthy eye on your Christmas budget and finances are important if you want to make financial health part of 2019.

As always I write about the importance of having healthy personal finances in order to live a better life. I have shared my personal struggles with money and how those lead me to trouble. The good news is that you can take control of your finances now and start living the life you wanted for yourself.

You can start by making 2019 the year where you will make financial health an important part of your life! As you begin 2019 with resolutions or goals, make sure you keep finances top priority and this is where I am here to help you!

I am very passionate about finances and I believe that everyone should live below their means. I will tell you that having healthy finances leads to a better way of life, not just with your money, but it changes the way you live your life.

While everyone loves spending on friends and family, it’s important to stay on track with savings and financial goals during the busy holiday season, so you can start the New Year off on the right foot.

Why making financial health a must in 2019?

The answer to these questions is because financial health matters. For as long as I have this blog my passion is to help and motivate others to start taking control of their finances.

I have helped many and will continue to encourage my readers to take their financial health serious. I want you to succeed with whatever your financial goals are, no matter how big or small they are.

Did you know that 1/3 of Americans feel that they achieved their financial goals in 2019? This statistic came from a recent survey from Capital One and this survey continues by saying that many people are thinking of doing a better job next year!

Finances and family ranked equally high when it comes to New Year's resolutions for 2019. This was more than other popular resolutions like fitness!

This shows to me that American are starting to see how important it is to have financial health in 2019. How important finances are to people when it ranks top with family for 2019.

To know that your 2019 will be a less stressful when it comes to your finances because you have created financial goals and your determination and hard work paid off it is an amazing accomplishment.  Knowing that you are eliminating debt and when you purchase what you need without owing anything to anyone else is the greatest feeling in the world.

For these reasons I urge you to take the leap like I will be doing this year and start 2019 off right!

How to Make Financial Health Part 2019

To make your 2019 Financial Health plan a success I will give you some helpful tips that have helped me through the years.

Write your goals

After you have taken a deep look at your finances it is time to write down your goals. This is something that I strongly recommend and something I didn't quite do for many years because I thought it was silly. The truth is that writing goals works. It worked for me and I will continue to do so always.

Writing down your goals makes things real. It is the beginning of your 2019 financial health goal or goals!

One important thing to always remember when writing your financial goals is to keep it realistic. It’s important to have specific goals of what you want to achieve in mind and use the tools to help you get your goals in motions.

Create a budget.

This is the blue print of your finances, an estimate of income and expenditures for a set period of time. You will create a set amount of money that is available for spending based on your spending plan.

When you create a budget, you will make sure that your money is accounted for. This is when you will learn so much about where you money is going and you will learn so much about your spending pattern.

Make It Work!

After you create your budget, the total amount should be the same or less than your total income. If is not, then is time to dig into it and what I call “make it work.”

The goal of your budget is to be equal or less than your take home. This is where the challenge begins. If your expenses are more than your income then you have to start making adjustments to your budget and/or your lifestyle.

Open a 360 Savings from Capital One

I am thankful for the tools I have available to help me stay focus and motivated in order to work on my financial health. During 2019 I will continue to use these tools. As I have used and continue to use my Capital One 360 accounts to help me achieve my financial goals.

For those who don't know, on 2014 I decided to start the 52 Week Saving Challenge in which I used my Capital One 360 account to save money every week. This year I decided to automatically transfer $20 every Friday into my account to help me save money for Christmas.

Due to the tools Capital One 360 provides I was able to find out how much I will be able to afford and how much money was enough for me to save.

This is why I recommend Capital One 360 to my readers:

• No fees
• No minimums
• Great interest rates to help you reach your saving goals.

The Automatic Saving Plan tool allows you to maximize your savings by having a fixed amount of money transferred from a link checking account regularly. Remember that Capital One 360 will have a higher interest because it's an online saving account compared to your regular checking account.

My Saving Goals tools help you track your progress and help you keep motivated during your saving journey! You can set goals, track your progress and celebrate saving milestones.

Don't give up!

My last tip is to never give up! The financial journey might not be easy and it happens, just don't give up. Once you get your progress and stick to your budget and goals, you will continue to get motivated. Like any journey, you will have your ups and downs but don't give up!

I hope these tips will help and motivate you to make financial health a part of 2018 and help start the year on the right path!

What other tips do you have to help your 2019 financial health?

I was selected for this opportunity as a member of Clever Girls and the content and opinions expressed here are all my own.