Lynda Moore has five easy-to-adopt money behaviours that can make a big difference in your financial life

We have talked about some unhelpful money behaviours to leave behind. Now let’s shift gears and focus on what we can do instead - because kicking habits to the curb is only half the battle. Positive actions are what bring results.

Here are five easy-to-adopt money behaviours that can make a big difference in your financial life.

1. Celebrate Your Small Wins

Ever paid off a credit card or stuck to your budget for a whole week? That’s a win! And it deserves a high-five—even if it’s just from yourself. Celebrating the small stuff keeps you motivated and reminds you that progress is happening, even if it’s slow.

It doesn’t have to be fancy. Treat yourself to a coffee, have a dance break, or just take a moment to say, “Go me!” Positive reinforcement is powerful.

It’s much easier to focus on what hasn’t gone so well in life, the positive wins tend to just slide by without us realising.  You will need to practice this on a few times to get into the swing of it.

2. Automate Your Savings

Pay yourself first is a term often bandied around as the way to reach your savings goal.  What we tend to do is pay ourselves last.  Every other bill gets paid, including the fun stuff, and when all that’s done, there often isn’t anything left for us to pay ourselves. 

Take it one step further as this one’s a game-changer: automate your savings. Set up a regular transfer from your main account to your savings every payday—even if it’s $10.

Why? Because it takes the decision-making out of saving. The money’s already moved before you’ve had a chance to spend it. And over time, those small, consistent amounts will add up. Future You will thank you. You can also opt to increase the savings amount when you get a pay rise, that way the increase isn’t all going to bills or lifestyle.

3. Check In With Your Budget (or as I prefer to call it, Your Money Plan)

Think of your money plan like a garden. You wouldn’t plant it and then forget about it, right? It needs a bit of watering, weeding, and love to thrive. You know you’ve left it too long, when the plants start to droop and go brown. 

You know you need to check and review your money plan, when your bank account seems a bit empty, and the next refill is a little way off.

Set aside a little time each month to review where your money went, what worked, and what didn’t. Your money plan isn’t set in concrete.  Life isn’t so why do we think we can set a twelve-month money plan and then forget about it? Adjust it if you need to so it works with lifes ebb’s and flows. You will find it much easier to stick to it if you take this approach.

4. Learn Something New About Money

“I can never learn to manage money, it’s just not my thing” I hear this quite often, I’m going to debunk this myth by telling you managing money is a learned skill, just like riding a bike, you’ll fall off a few times, get a few scraps and scratches, but just like a bike, get back on and keep learning.  

I know finances can feel overwhelming at times, but here’s the secret: the more you know, the less scary it becomes.

Commit to learning one new thing about money each week. Maybe it’s reading a blog, listening to a podcast, or asking that one financially savvy friend for their favourite tip. The more confident you feel, the better choices you’ll make.

5. Be Grateful for What You Have

This is the opposite of comparing yourself to others.  It’s easy to focus on what’s missing—especially when you’re scrolling through someone’s highlight reel on Instagram. But gratitude shifts the spotlight to what you do have.

Take a moment to appreciate what you have, big or small it doesn’t matter. Maybe it’s your job, a cozy home, or just the fact that you resisted buying those shoes in the sale last week (win!).

It doesn’t have to be financial either, just looking out the window and feeling grateful for a sunny day, of taking time out to have a laugh with friends or family helps you feel more content, and when you’re content, you make clearer financial decisions.

Ready to Start?
Pick one or two of these behaviours and give them a go this week. Remember, it’s not about perfection - it’s about progress. And every small step gets you closer to a healthier, happier relationship with money.

Which behaviour will you try first?

*Lynda Moore is a Money Mentalist coach and New Zealand’s only certified New Money Story® mentor. Lynda helps you understand why you do the things you do with your money, when we all know we should spend less than we earn. You can contact her here.