5 Financial Resolutions You Can ACTUALLY Follow in 2025

Guess what percentage of people actually stick to their New Year's resolutions for the entire year? Well, according to Columbia University, it’s less than 10%! In fact, more than 7 in 10 Americans fail to stay committed to their goals for more than 30 days! It’s probably easier to break a resolution than to say no to a little 'retail therapy,’ especially on the heels of the holidays. 

So, why exactly do most people find it difficult to follow through with their resolutions? Psychologists have an answer. 

Most ambitious resolutions fail because they are not clear, specific, or realistic. According to Fidelity Investments’ 2025 New Year’s Financial Resolutions study, among those who reported successfully keeping their financial resolution in 2024, the most common reason was setting a clear and specific financial goal (28%). Other key factors included having a goal that is realistic and manageable over the long term (27%) and experiencing a sense of accomplishment, which motivated them to stay committed (27%).

So, setting a vague goal like “I want to save more this year” or “Never eating fried chicken again” will hardly move the needle when it comes to improving your financial health. Instead, consider these 5 financial resolutions to make 2025 the best year moneywise: 

1) Start using a budgeting app 

A budget is like a GPS for your money and shows you exactly where it's going. Sure, it sounds boring, but it’s a crucial first step to getting ahead. Once you have one, you'll be shocked at where your money is going and how quickly it can evaporate, especially with non-essentials you don’t think about. 

One of the reasons only 1 in 3 American households has a detailed budget is the hassle of manually tracking all your monthly expenses. However, you don’t need to recreate the wheel! Thanks to smartphones and the Internet, we have plenty of budgeting apps that can automatically track all your expenses and revenue streams so you can maintain a budget on the go. (Good news: some of them don’t cost a penny!) 

2) Review all your subscriptions and remove unused ones

It’s all too easy to sign up for a free trial or new subscription and then forget about it while your credit card keeps getting charged every month. Before you know it, you're paying for things you haven't used in ages – like that gym membership or a streaming service you signed up for months back. 

Take some time every few months, preferably every quarter, to review your subscriptions and cancel the ones you hardly use. It will take less than 15 minutes to review your subscriptions (unless you have a really long list), potentially saving hundreds of dollars. Having a budget app that tracks transactions will also help you speed up the process. Mark our words, your bank account will thank you for this. 

3) Have a 15-day cooling period for non-essentials

According to a survey, US consumers spent an average of $150 on impulse purchases each month in 2023. That’s $1,800 a year! In fact, a lot of consumers cope with emotional setbacks through ‘retail therapies’ like revenge shopping. This practice has become so common, especially among young consumers, that we now have a whole new consumer trend called “doom spending”—because who doesn’t want to shop away their problems? (Spoiler: It usually just makes your credit card bills worse).

To fight back against these impulse buys, try a 15-day cooling period for all non-essential purchases. From that tempting new gadget to that 10th pair of sneakers you just have to have, just wait on clicking the “buy now” button right away. Wait 15 days and see if you still feel the urge. Chances are, a lot of those purchases will get filtered out. And who knows, that extra cash might even help you retire early if you invest it wisely!

4) Earmark 1 day a month to review your finances and goals

According to a Motley Fool Money survey of 2,000 adults, only 46% of respondents said they conduct financial planning regularly while 1 in 4 respondents (24%) only do “crisis budgeting.” This means they look at their finances only when there is an emergency like unexpected expenses or a loss in income. 

Regular financial planning and review can help you avoid financial firefighting and all that adrenaline-induced stress. Not sure where to start? uThrive’s comprehensive Master Course on personal finance has you covered! One tip to get you started is to earmark 1 day a month (preferably within the first week of the month) to take stock of your finances. This way you don’t need to stress over micromanaging each financial decision or spend a lot of time on keeping track of your finances. 

Moreover, having a designated day for financial planning and review will unburden your mind on other days to focus on other things that matter—your job, relationships, and mental health (or maybe just binge-watch Netflix guilt-free). 

5) Educate yourself on the essentials by taking the uThrive course

The best investment you can make is in yourself — expanding your knowledge, developing new skills, and pursuing personal growth. Understanding the basics of personal finance can go a long way in helping you manage money, save more, invest wisely, tackle debt, and protect your financial future.

Make 2025 your best year yet by committing to learning the essentials of personal finance. This simple step will put you ahead of millions of Americans who struggle with even basic concepts, like how credit scores work or how to pay off debt more efficiently.

With so many options out there, it can feel overwhelming to know where to start. But don’t worry, uThrive Academy has your back. We’ve created a proven strategy to help young adults achieve their financial goals — all packed into 6 practical, easy-to-follow modules. No fluff, just the essential tools you need for financial success.