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Money Monday: Best tips and tricks to stick with financial goals in 2026
WELL, LAST WEEK WE BROUGHT YOU THE TIPS AND TRICKS TO HELP YOU STICK TO YOUR 2026 HEALTH GOALS. AND ON THIS MONDAY MONDAY, WE’RE HELPING YOU STICK TO THOSE FINANCIAL GOALS. JOINING ME NOW IS THE DIRECTOR OF FINANCIAL PLANNING AT WEALTH QUEST, MEGAN HAMMOND. MEGAN, THANKS SO MUCH FOR BEING HERE WITH US. THANK YOU FOR HAVING ME. WE WERE TALKING ABOUT OUR HOLIDAYS AND NOW WE NEED TO RECOVER FROM THOSE HOLIDAYS. SO I’M GLAD YOU’RE HERE. FINANCIAL NEW YEAR’S RESOLUTIONS. LET’S TALK ABOUT IT. SOMETHING THAT PEOPLE SHOULD BE DOING OR THEY A LOT OF PEOPLE SEEK OUT TO DO. YEAH. SO I WOULD SAY AROUND 50% OF PEOPLE ACTUALLY SET A NEW YEAR’S RESOLUTION. AND FOR THOSE WHO DO, ABOUT 60% OF THEM ARE FOCUSED IN MONEY AND FINANCE. AND SO IT IS SOMETHING THAT IS TOP OF MIND FOR A LOT OF US. AND I THINK AS A TESTAMENT TO THE IMPORTANCE OF FINANCIAL HEALTH IN OUR LIVES AND OUR DESIRE TO CONTINUE TO IMPROVE THAT. BUT I THINK, YOU KNOW, WHAT IS WHAT IS DIFFICULT SOMETIMES IS THAT ALSO ADDS A LOT OF PRESSURE WHERE WE WANT IT TO TO HAPPEN AND MAYBE EVEN PERFECTLY. AND GIVE UP. YEAH, BECAUSE WE SEE THAT IN THE NUMBERS. OVER 40% OF PEOPLE GIVE UP BEFORE THE END OF THE FIRST MONTH, AND LESS THAN 10% OF PEOPLE ACTUALLY MAKE IT TO THE END OF THE YEAR SAYING THAT THEY MET THEIR NEW YEAR’S RESOLUTION. AND SO WHAT WE WANT TO DO IS, IS ABSOLUTELY RIGHT. IF YOU ARE SOMEBODY WHO SETS A NEW YEAR’S RESOLUTION, SET THOSE LONGER TERM FINANCIAL GOALS, BUT IT’S CRITICAL THAT WE RECOGNIZE WHAT WE’RE UP AGAINST AND THAT WE SET A FRAMEWORK TO BE AS SUCCESSFUL AS WE CAN BE. YOU HAVE TO HAVE A PLAN OR YOU PLAN TO FAIL, RIGHT? THAT’S WHAT THEY SAY. SO WHAT ARE SOME THINGS THAT PEOPLE CAN DO TO INCREASE THEIR PROBABILITY OF SUCCESS HERE WITH THEIR FINANCIAL GOALS? YES. WELL, I THINK THE ULTIMATE GOAL IS FOR US TO CREATE A POSITIVE FEEDBACK LOOP, RIGHT. WE WANT TO SET BEHAVIORS IN PLACE THAT REINFORCE THAT POSITIVE BEHAVIOR. SO WE WANT TO DO IT AGAIN AND AGAIN. AND SO SETTING ONE ANNUAL GOAL PROBABLY ISN’T GOING TO BE SUFFICIENT BECAUSE IT’S GOING TO FEEL INSURMOUNTABLE. SO WHAT WE WANT TO DO IS BREAK THAT DOWN INTO SMALLER GOALS. QUARTERLY, MONTHLY, WEEKLY, MAYBE EVEN DAILY, BECAUSE I CAN DO ANYTHING FOR A DAY AND WE CAN CELEBRATE THOSE, THOSE SUCCESSES, HOWEVER SMALL THEY ARE, RIGHT. THAT SHOWS THAT WE CAN DO IT, AND IT GIVES US MOMENTUM TO CONTINUE TO MOVE FORWARD. AND WHEN IT COMPOUNDS, IT FEELS GOOD. WHEN YOU CHIP AWAY AT IT DAY BY DAY AND YOU’RE LIKE, THIS ALL HAPPENED NOT OVERNIGHT, BUT BY CHIPPING AWAY AT IT. ABSOLUTELY. AND I THINK THE OTHER THING THAT WE WANT TO FOCUS ON IS WE WANT TO FOCUS ON THE THINGS THAT THAT WE ARE ADDING TO OUR FINANCIAL LIFE, NOT THE THINGS THAT WE ARE SACRIFICING BECAUSE IT LOOKS AND FEELS VERY DIFFERENT TO SAY, OH MAN, I DIDN’T GET TO GO OUT TO EAT AT ALL THIS MONTH, VERSUS I ADDED X AMOUNT OF DOLLARS TO MY EMERGENCY FUND, AND I’M CREATING FINANCIAL STABILITY FOR MY FAMILY. SO WHEN IT GETS HARD, LIKE IT ALWAYS DOES, RIGHT? THE MOTIVATION SORT OF WANES AFTER A LITTLE WHILE. AND WE HAVEN’T MET OUR GOAL YET. THAT’S WHEN WE WANT THAT POSITIVE REINFORCEMENT AND THAT POSITIVE MENTALITY TO PUSH US THROUGH. YEAH. TALK TO US ABOUT THE SPECIFIC APPROACHES THAT HAVE SHOWN POSITIVE RESULTS. YEAH, I MEAN, THERE ARE THOUSANDS AND THOUSANDS OUT THERE AND IT’S GOING TO BE REALLY INDIVIDUALIZED BECAUSE WE’RE ALL MOTIVATED BY SLIGHTLY DIFFERENT THINGS. BUT THERE ARE THREE THAT I HAVE SEEN WORK REALLY WELL FOR A LOT OF PEOPLE. ONE IS IS COMPETING IN A CHALLENGE. RIGHT. SO THERE IS ONE IS REALLY POPULAR IS THE NO SPEND CHALLENGE. AND THAT IS HOW LONG CAN I GO WITHOUT SPENDING MONEY? MY FAMILY LIKES TO DO THE PANTRY CHALLENGE, WHICH IS HOW MANY DINNERS IN A ROW CAN I MAKE WITH THE THINGS THAT ARE CURRENTLY IN MY HOUSE? RIGHT? MY FREEZER AND MY PANTRY. AND THERE ARE SPENDING CHALLENGES. THERE ARE SAVINGS AND BUDGETING BUT SECONDLY, I WOULD SAY CREATE A REWARD SYSTEM FOR YOURSELF. YOU KNOW, THAT CAN BE A BIG MOTIVATOR FOR A LOT OF PEOPLE. WHERE WE WANT TO BE CAREFUL IS THAT WE ARE INTENTIONAL ABOUT WHAT THAT REWARD IS, AND THAT IT IS PROPORTIONAL TO THE GOAL THAT WE HAVE HAVE ACHIEVED, BECAUSE WE DON’T WANT TO SET OURSELVES BACK TOO FAR. HAVE YOU PEEKED INTO MY LIFE, MEGAN? IT’S LIKE, OH, I LOSE A POUND. LET ME GET AN ICE CREAM SUNDAE. OR, YOU KNOW, SO I LOVE THAT ADVICE. PEOPLE CAN CHIP AWAY A LITTLE BIT AT A TIME. AND THESE GOALS CAN BE MET. DON’T GIVE UP. DON’T BE ONE OF THE ONES THAT GIVE UP BEFORE YOU REACH THE PINNACLE. RIGHT? DON’T GIVE IT UP AND FIND A FRIEND OR AN ACCOUNTABILITY PARTNER, BECAUSE THAT SUPPORT NETWORK AND THAT FOUNDATION IS REALLY GOING TO GET YOU THROUGH. ALL RIGHT. MEGAN HAMMOND WITH WEALTH QUEST,
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Money Monday: Best tips and tricks to stick with financial goals in 2026
Last week, WLWT brought tips and tricks to help people stick with their 2026 health goals as the new year begins.In the latest edition of Money Monday, WLWT is helping people stick to their financial goals.On Monday, director of financial planning at WealthQuest, Megan Hammann, joined the 4 p.m. show to discuss those tips.See the full interview in the video player at the top of the story.
Last week, WLWT brought tips and tricks to help people stick with their 2026 health goals as the new year begins.
In the latest edition of Money Monday, WLWT is helping people stick to their financial goals.
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On Monday, director of financial planning at WealthQuest, Megan Hammann, joined the 4 p.m. show to discuss those tips.
See the full interview in the video player at the top of the story.