New Things to Do with Your Money in the New Year

Most people have their New Year's resolutions already decided by now. You want to lose weight, walk more, eat less junk food. But promising the same thing every year can get a bit boring and, I'll be honest, a bit sad. If you're looking for a new resolution for the new year, especially if you have a little bit of disposable income or you wish you had a little bit more, this post is for you. These are some New Year's resolutions to bring a new meaning to your money.

Holiday Bonus Stocking

Do you ever find yourself wishing you had more money around the holidays? Buying gifts, making a holiday dinner, and stuffing stockings can all get a bit expensive. Most of us, though, have a little bit of money we can spare earlier in the year. You could put your money in a savings account, of course, but here's a holiday-themed alternative.
All you need for this resolution is your pocket change and a stocking. If you doubt your self control or have other people in the house that you think might take the money, you might want to get a stocking from Dollar Tree and sew up the top except for a tiny hole, to give you motivation not to open it and let you know if anyone else does.
You can put money in the stocking however you want to or can, but one suggestion for those with a little more cash is to make sure you have 20 or 40 dollars in cash at the beginning of the week, and put any smaller bills and coins in the stocking at the end of the week. If you need small bills and/or change for the bus, laundry, etc. you can keep 5s or 1s and quarters, or you can just set a specific amount to put in the stocking each week, paycheck, or month.
At the end of the year, before the holidays, perhaps on the first of December or just after Thanksgiving for those of us in the States, you can open the stocking and use the money to buy gifts for Christmas, Hanukkah, or whatever holiday you celebrate. Alternatively, open it on Christmas as a little gift for yourself.

Invest

Stocks used to be a rich man's game. But now, in 2019, the stock market is becoming more accessible to middle class people. There are even apps, such as Acorns and Robinhood (as much as I hate that name for a stock app--Robin Hood was a socialist), where you can invest small amounts of money in stock. Remember not to put all your eggs in one basket! $5 each in 20 stocks is a lot safer than $100 in one.

Support Content Creators

The world is full of free art. Most of the art that you see, though, is made by someone who is trying to get by. Many artists, YouTubers, etc. have a Patreon or Ko-Fi (or both) for their audience to support their creations (I also have a Patreon!). Most Patreons have reward tiers for pledging certain amounts of money, but if you'd rather make a one-time contribution, ask them if they have a Ko-Fi! This resolution won't exactly make you money or help you save it, but it'll give any extra money you have, as little as $1 a month on Patreon or $3 on Ko-Fi, some meaning and make a difference to people who already make a big difference in your life. Some content creators I would like to support on Patreon if I had the financial stability are Tina "Peaches" Cortes (creator of Peachfuzz), Natalie Wynn (creator of ContraPoints), and Shenanigensen (creator of Owl Turd and Blue Chair), but I would recommend just going to the websites of creators you already follow and checking for links to their Patreons or other means of support.

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