Time To Check In On Those January Money Goals

Spring is here. And while everyone’s busy decluttering their closets and deep-cleaning their kitchens, I want to talk about something that actually needs your attention.

Your finances.

At the start of the year, everything feels urgent. The goals are clear, the intentions are strong, and you tell yourself you’ll finally set things up properly. Then life fills in the gaps. March shows up, and the habits slip, the automations stay in draft, and the system you meant to build never quite gets built.

If that sounds like you, you’re not alone.

This is exactly why financial spring cleaning exists. It gives you a reset, a check-in, and a chance to see where you actually are before the year gets away from you.

Here’s where I’d start:

1. Find out where your money is actually going

Pull up your last two or three bank statements and look, really look, at your recurring charges.

The subscriptions you forgot about.
The free trials you never cancelled.
The apps you haven’t opened since last year.
The streaming service your ex introduced you to that’s still quietly billing you every month.  

Most people can free up at least $20-$50 immediately just from this step. 

And that money can go toward something that actually matters to you.

2. Simplify what’s gotten cluttered

Sometimes the problem is how much there is to keep track of. 

For example: Accounts scattered everywhere, investments sitting in apps you check once a year, and a budget from 2023 that no longer reflects your life.

Pick one thing that feels messy or outdated and clean it up. Consolidate where you can, close what you don’t need, and make your finances easier to see and manage.

3. Go back to your January goals

This one really matters.

Think about what you wrote down or told yourself at the start of this year. 

Were you planning to tackle any debts? Did you have a savings target? Were you finally going to open an investment account? Where are you on those now?

If you’re ahead, take a moment to acknowledge that. Progress is progress, even if it doesn’t feel dramatic.

If you’ve fallen behind, this is your sign to adjust, not abandon. A goal that still makes sense but needs a new timeline is not a failed goal. It’s just an updated one. Give yourself permission to recalibrate.

4. Reset your systems if they’ve slipped

Willpower doesn’t hold. Systems do.

If you’ve been manually transferring money into savings and “forgetting,” set up the automation today.

If your budget hasn’t been touched since February, spend 15 minutes this week bringing it up to date.

If your debt repayment plan fell apart, sit down and map out what’s realistic right now. 

5. Get honest about whether you need more structure

Here’s something I’ve learned from working with many people about their money: the information isn’t usually the problem.

Most of us know we should be saving more, spending less, and investing earlier. The part that’s hard is staying consistent when motivation dips, life gets busy, and there’s no one around to keep you accountable.

Having people around you who are doing the work too – who celebrate when you hit a milestone and check in when you go quiet – changes how far you actually get. 

This is exactly where the Don’t Go Broke Collective accountability group comes in.

You don’t have to do this alone

This April, we’re running a full live session on goal-setting in our accountability group. 

If you set goals in January, and March came and went before you’d made actual progress – then April is the perfect time to join. 

We’ll work together to help you get back on track with your goals. 

Three months behind doesn’t mean the year is lost. It means you need a plan that works for where you are right now, not where you thought you’d be. 

That’s exactly what this session is meant to do. You can join us in the Collective to attend.

CTA: Join the Don’t Go Broke Collective

For my Nigerian community: You’ll need a VPN to access Skool. Make sure you have one set up before joining so you can get straight in.

Until next time,
xoReni

P.S. I’m curious, what’s the one task on your financial to-do list that’s been sitting there since January? Hit reply and tell me.