How to be better with your money in 2026 — one month at a time

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New Year's resolutions are easy to make and even easier to break. But if your 2026 resolution is to build healthier financial habits, forgetting about it can prove costly.

Being better with money can feel overwhelming, especially if you take on too much at once. Instead, go one step (or one month) at a time with our financial resolution calendar.

Each win will further your determination to improve your relationship with money by 2027.

Your budget is your financial foundation. You need one to set goals and make informed decisions about spending and saving. Without the visibility a budget provides, the best you can do is guesswork.

That's why it's essential to create a budget before you get to any other financial resolutions. You'll see how much you have coming in and where it's being spent. Based on that, you can decide how much you can dedicate to important financial goals and how much you can spend on non-essential categories like dining out and entertainment.

If you're new to budgeting, Goodbudget is a great option that uses the envelope method to create spending categories for divvying up funds. And it's free for the first 20 envelopes.

If you have large credit card bills or other high-interest debts, your next priority is paying them off as soon as possible.

With a budget in place, you should have a good idea of how much you can devote to debt payments. There are a number of strategies that can make tackling debt feel less monumental:

The "snowball" and "avalanche" methods

These strategies differ in which debts you tackle first. With the avalanche method, you start with the bill with the highest APR to save on interest. With the snowball method, you focus on the smallest bill, to enjoy the motivation of a quick win. Whichever approach you choose, always make at least minimum payments on the rest of your balances.

Debt consolidation

When you consolidate debt, you roll multiple obligations into one monthly payment, hopefully with a lower interest rate. One way to do that is with a balance transfer credit card with an introductory 0% rate, giving you months to pay down the debt without any additional interest accruing.

The Wells Fargo Reflect® Card has one of the most generous 0% intro APR periods we've seen, and there's no annual fee.

Another approach is with a debt consolidation loan, which offers the added bonus of a fixed rate for the loan term. Achieve approves debt consolidation loans for borrowers with a 620 FICO Score and will even send the funds directly to your creditors.

You have a budget and are working on paying down debt. Now it's time to tackle your taxes. March is early enough that you can gather the relevant forms and book an appointment with a tax specialist or decide which tax-filing software you want to use.

TurboTax allows you to report W-2 income and eligible interest and dividend income. You can claim the standard deduction, as well as the Earned Income Tax Credit, child tax credits and student loan interest deduction. According to TurboTax, 37% of taxpayers qualify for its no-cost tier.

Think of an emergency fund as a financial lifeboat, one that keeps you from sinking into debt if you have to pay for car repairs, medical bills or other unexpected expenses.

The easiest way to build your emergency fund is by automating deposits into a high-yield savings account (HYSA). You'll enjoy a much better return than a traditional savings account, while still having easy access to your cash. LendingClub LevelUp Savings and UFB Portfolio Savings offer some of the highest returns on the market and have no monthly fee or minimum balance requirements.

You may be daydreaming about summer, but May is a great time to set up sinking funds to save for end-of-year spending. With a sinking fund, you set aside money toward a specific goal, whether that's a home renovation project, a European vacation or a new car. You can make monthly deposits in a HYSA, but since you won't need the money for some time, you could put a lump sum into a certificate of deposit (CD).

A six-month term CD opened in May would mature in November, just in time to pay for holiday travel or gifts. Ally Bank advertises solid yields, with no minimum deposit and terms ranging from three months to five years.

Marcus by Goldman Sachs also offers high-yield CDs, with terms ranging from six months to six years. (You'll need to deposit at least $500 to open your account.)

Still haven't booked your summer vacation? A travel credit card is one of the best tools for both saving money and enjoying rewards.

The Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card earns 2X miles on all purchases. You can use those miles to book with Capital One Travel or transfer them to one of Capital One's many airline and hotel partners. Venture X Rewards comes with benefits like *travel insurance, airport lounge access, expedited airport security and enough annual bonuses and credits to offset the card's $395 annual fee.

Now you have a credit card that earns rewards to fund your travel. But what about the rest of your spending? Browser extensions like Rakuten and PayPal Honey can track prices on millions of products
and apply promo codes with one click.

A cash-back credit card enables you to earn rewards on the items and services you spend the most on. If you have big grocery bills each month, the Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express earns 6% cash back at U.S. supermarkets on up to $6,000 per year in eligible purchases (then 1%).

Once you buy car insurance, it's all too easy to just let it continue automatically, but you should shop for a new policy every time you're up for renewal. Rates change all the time, and the provider who had the best deal six months ago might have raised its premiums.

While you're comparing rates, be sure to look into any discounts you might qualify for. Many insurance companies offer a bundling discount if you take out both homeowners and auto insurance policies. (There are discounts for bundling other policies, as well.)

Your credit score is an essential part of your financial health, so check it at least every three months. Once or twice a year, do a deeper review of your credit report to look for mistakes and signs of identity theft.

You can usually get your current credit score from your credit card issuer or bank. Free copies of your credit report from each of the three credit bureaus are available once a year at AnnualCreditReport.com.

To be more proactive, look into buying identity theft protection. The best services include password managers and other digital security tools like VPNs, antivirus programs and dark web monitoring.

It's hard to build real wealth without investing. So, if you haven't started before, now's the time.

An investing app is a good way to dip your toe in the market. Acorns is a great option for beginners because you can start investing with as little as $5. The app "rounds up" purchases on a linked credit or debit card and automatically invests the extra change into your portfolio. With an Acorns Gold subscription, you can score a 3% IRA match on any new contributions during your first year of membership. (Acorns Silver members get a 1% IRA match.)

If you're already investing, review your asset allocation and determine whether your investments still meet your goals. If not, it might be time to change things up or speak with a financial advisor.

Open enrollment for workplace benefits typically begins in November, so now is the time to make changes. Depending on your company and health care plan, you may be eligible for a health savings account (HSA) or flexible spending account (FSA). Both accounts are tax-advantaged and can be used to pay for medical, dental and vision care expenses/

While you're on your company website, check your 401(k) plan to see if you're on track with your contributions. At the very least, make sure you're maxing out any employer match.

You've reached the end of the year and, hopefully, made some real strides toward mastering your finances. Now you just have to survive the holiday season without breaking the bank. (If you started that sinking fund back in May, this should be a little easier.)

Between traveling to see family and buying gifts for friends and loved ones, holidays can quickly become a giant money pit. Spend some time at the start of December and create a separate budget so you know how much you're comfortable spending on travel and presents.

Look back at the 12 money tips we've shared to see which areas you mastered and which you still need to work on. Lastly, start thinking about your financial resolutions for 2027.

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