INSIGHT Magazine January 2015 | Page 8

on specific things; little purchases adding up can make a bigger dent in the budget than you’d expect. Stretch your gas budget by staying in a little more often or slim down the grocery budget by taking $10 worth of items off a week. Actually save that money: Until the money you save goes into a savings account or is otherwise set aside, it’s not entirely safe from a sudden buying splurge or night out on the town. Find a way to keep track of what you’ve saved and keep it out of circulation. Keep track: Keep an eye on your bank account. Free apps and software like mint.com not only gives you an up-to-date look at your account balances, but also categorizes purchases to give you an idea of where most of your money goes. so don’t expect to make changes overnight. You’re not looking to make big moves so much as consistent ones; pick a reasonable number of resumes to send per month and split it up through the weeks, and let the number of connections you make add up throughout the year. No matter what your resolution, always be sure to be realistic about your goals - sometimes cutting down is better than cutting out - and remember that every little bit you do each day adds up throughout the year, so don’t worry if it seems like you’re making small moves. They’ll add up. ✤ GET A BETTER JOB Make a resume: If you don’t already have a decent resume, put one together and make it look decent. Fancy is fine, but the key to building any document is simplicity; make it easy for recruiters to read and you’ll already be ahead of the pack. Specialize: monster.com is a great catchall job-hunting site, but you’ll want to search for sites that have listings for your specific industry to find more job listings and less competition. Keep at it: Getting the job you want is a long-term goal, 8 January 2015 INSIGHT