The Secret to Finally Meeting Your Financial Goals

We've all been there. You're at the door of the restaurant, telling yourself it's salad time, picturing yourself tightening that belt another notch. But did they have to put the double-cheeseburger on special today, with a huge poster in the lobby? A half-hour later, you're looking over an empty burger basket and wondering what happened.

You either underestimated or overestimated yourself yet again, and healthy habits are hard to keep.

How many times have we planned to budget or contribute to a 401(k) or keep a certain investment in place, only to find ourselves backpedaling? We spend money meant for saving, we lack the discipline to keep it in place, or we just don't sit down to write out a budget.

This is particularly true shortly after the new year. Mid-February, for example, is prime time for , whether it's too many