I Resolve to Follow Mom's Advice: 'Save Your Money'

Mom's right. Tim and I used to be good at pinching pennies, but we've grown careless. The total hiatus from coffee shops was violated-a latte here and a mocha there-until it had become a habit again. The restaurant hiatus was also discontinued. And then the real kicker: a killer computer set-up from Best Buy. (There really was something wrong with our old computers, truly.)

The potential for unchecked spending increased a hundred-fold when we started using the Amazon card for everything, just so we could rack up reward points. We pay off the balance every month, so what's the harm? The harm is that, even though we write down all of our purchases, we're not subtracting the amount from the real money in our checking account. The balance dwindles, and we're oblivious.

And heck, even if we had loads of money, why spend it unnecessarily?

With that thought in mind, I made my most important New Year's resolution: I will save money. So how will I make sure that this resolution isn't forgotten by February?

1. I am making my resolution public.
Now, I'm accountable to you. My integrity is at stake.

2. I will take the path of least resistance: just do it.
I will reconfigure my paradigm. I can say, "Yeah, it's a sale," and keep walking. Better yet, I'll develop a tabula rasa when it comes to consumerism.

3. If I have trouble creating that mindset, I will seek gratification in saving.
I will keep track of what I do not buy-from Dollar Tree to Dillards. If watching digits add up isn't gratifying enough, I'll take the money saved, put it in a basket, and watch it pile up.

4. I will take pleasure in my successes.
I will congratulate myself when I venture out into the world and return with only the necessities. Maybe I will earn rewards, like extra time for yoga or reading.

5. I will take emergency measures as needed.
When the other four measures have failed, when I've caved in and know that I might do so again, I will stay in the house and unplug the computer. Or confess to my mom.