Often when I speak to people about their financial goals they tell me things like “I want to save more,†or “I want to get out of credit card debt.â€Â These are admirable aspirations, but when it comes to goal setting we need to be more specific: “I want to save $1,000 extra dollars over the next year to pay down my student loan debt.â€Â “I want to save $3,000 to go on my dream vacation next year.â€Â “I want to save $10,000 to get my business started.â€Â  Having these numbers in our heads gives us a foundation from which we can build a blueprint, (aka) budget, to help us get there.
[Related: [Part 2] Setting Financial Goals: Where To Begin]
In addition, knowing what your goals cost — having that number in your head –  will  go a long way towards helping you curb your spending. As I discussed with HLN’s Lynn Berry, however, it all starts with creating a vision of what your ideal life looks like.
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