7 Realistic Financial Resolutions to Make in 2027

5-Seconds Money Check In Rule

If you need to pick one resolution from this list and disregard everything else, I would encourage you to choose this one. The 5-second money check-in literally takes five seconds of your time every morning and if you attach it to another morning habit, you will have it forever. It is the best thing you could do for yourself money-wise, and I am not eggagerating here.

I worked in a bank for nearly a decade of my life, and the main difference between people with money and those without was this: People with money knew exactly how much they had in their bank accounts at any point of the day.

People who struggle financially tend to hate their financial situation so much that they don’t even want to know how few coins they have in their accounts.

The downside of this behaviour is that you lose money awareness. You don’t know how much you have, you don’t know how much leaves your account every day, and you certainly lose track of everything that gets paid. You don’t want this lifestyle anymore.

You want to be in charge of your money even if that money is £50.

Here’s the habit itself: Every morning, while your coffee is brewing or while you’re doing any other waiting-related morning habit, you log into your bank account, look at how much money you have there, and leave the app. That’s it.

That simple knowledge will give your brain food for thought, it will make you money-aware and it will help you track your finances better.

Start an Emergency Fund

Nothing new here. Starting an emergency fund is a boring and predictabl money resolution, but you see it everywhere because it’s a life skill that sooner or later you will need.

There is no “if” nowadays. You will need your emergency fund one day, so you want to start working on it this year. Pick a method – I offer you five simple ways to save for your emergency fund right here.

The gist of it is this: no matter how much you can put in that emergency fund – £500 or £5, don’t skip a month without adding to that pot.

Don’t “Save More”

I touched on this money resolution already, but what’s the solution? Simple, specific, and just within your comfort zone.

Don’t write down “save more money”. Write down the lowest amount of money you know is wihtin your capabilities to put aside. And that money isn’t the same as the money you put in your emergency fund. This is purely for the sake of building the habit of saving, so pick something low, like £10 or £50 – whatever makes sense to you.

Start the 24-Hour Rule

Every time you want to buy something that wasn’t in your plans, wait 24 hours before making the purchase. Very few things are emergencies in this case, so don’t try to excuse yourself for overspending.

Make it even more realistic – set a ceiling for spending wihtout waiting, and wait for 24 hours before purchasing anything that’s over that amount. For example, if you’ve set £25 as the ceiling, but you want to buy a cosmetic product that would cost you more than that, you must wait 24 hours before doing so.

Why? 95% of the things we overspend on are “wants” and not “needs”. They are impulse buyes we usually regret just an hour after spending money on them. Waiting is a good way to prevent that regret.

Meal Plan

There is more than one benefit to meal planning. You get to ask yourself “What’s for dinner” just once a week, decide on the next seven days of food, and then get a break from that question for the next six days.

Also, you get to combine the ingredients into meals and maximise the usage of what you already have, while reducing food waste. That’s cool.

But also, and I think this is important, you learn how food budgeting works, how to plan food better, how to find recipes that you and your family love, and you make cooking a fun activity. To see how I plan our meals, click right here.

Start Making 25 Things

I know, this is such a specific number, but there are at least 25 things you could start making at home instead of buying, and I don’t mean food only. The full list is on my other post right here, but here are my favorite five:

• Go for book swaps with friends and borrow books from libraries instead of buying them;
• Make your pizzas at home – make dough in advance and freeze it ready for toppings;
• Prepare your coffees at home instead of buying them every day;
• Watch YouTube how-tos for minor repairs at home instead of hiring people for everything;
• Choose homemade hair and face masks – they are healthier and give faster results as well.

Start a Side Hustle

Realistically speaking, the fastest way to save more money is to make more money. Side hustles are the norm right now, and nearly everyone I know has one alongside their regular job.

But here’s the best part about side hustles – there are options out there that fit anyone’s busy schedule, and you don’t need to overthink them. Start anything, even if it’s decluttering your home and selling everything on Vinted and Facebook Marketplace. I resell books and sell stuff on FB Marketplace, both as side hustles alongside to my blogging, and I love it.

Final Thoughts

Money resolutions are hard when you think of them as thins you “have to” do. You don’t have to have them, but it is nice to make better decisions regarding your finances. A new year is a great starting point because you can use the momentum in January, stick to those resolutions through February, and they will become real habits in March. Before you know it, you will be saving, side-husteling and making more things at home without even noticing you’re doing those things.

However, if seven financial resolutions sound too much to you, pick one and start with it. You could always add more along the way, if it feels right.