The New Year is fast approaching and along with hitting the gym and getting organized, saving money is always among the top New Year’s resolutions.
Setting a goal to spend less and save more is easier said than done. Until now.
Kelly Ross and Steve Stromp, who are professionals in the music industry, have been married for two years.
"Headphones and email are our life," Kelly told “Good Morning America.” "Checking our finances can be sort of the last thing on the priority list."
At the top of their 2019 list: becoming homeowners and first-time parents.
“Now because we’re looking to make big purchases, we’re looking to expand our family, we actually have to think a lot about how we spend our money and maybe strategize where we haven’t before,” Kelly said.
“GMA” paired the couple up with financial expert and bestselling author Nicole Lapin to advise them on how to best meet their 2019 goals.
1. Name your savings.
Listing a baby fund and house fund is the first step towards accountability. You can create “sub savings accounts” in your bank account to save for things like “baby fund" or “house fund” and more.
"Putting a name on it makes you feel more motivated to actually stick to saving for it,” Lapin suggested.
2. Use proactive technology like Eno, an assistant from Capital One, a sponsor of "GMA."
Eno is an assistant that helps monitor your money to give you peace of mind.
“You can just say, ‘Hey Eno, when is my credit card bill due?’ and Eno texts you back exactly when it’s due,” Lapin explained.
Eno is also a proactive tool to help you protect your money around the clock. If you’re a Capital One customer, you can sign up for bill pay reminders, double charge alerts and real-time potential fraud alerts. The real-time alerts are designed to stop potential fraud in its tracks, so you can stay on top of your accounts on the go.
3. Make a spending plan.
Lapin says a sustainable spending plan is broken down into the three “Es” -- essentials, end game and extras.
“Seventy percent of your overall spending plan should go to the essentials. So your food, your transportation, your bills everything you need to live on. Fifteen percent should go to the end game, so the baby fund, the house fund, everything you guys are saving up for as a couple and then 15 percent to the extras,” she said. “So whatever it is that makes you happy, a latte in the morning, a mani/pedi.”
If you pair the three “Es” with Eno, the assistant from Capital One, Lapin says the on-the-go and ambitious couple will be on a path to stay on track and on top of their money in 2019.
