Just like that, you’re in the last quarter of 2024. Did you meet every financial goal you set in the New Year? If your answer is no, don’t feel bad.

Pew Research shows that more than three in five (61%) Americans set money or finance resolutions in the New Year. Meanwhile, a Forbes Health and One Poll survey shows that the average resolution lasts less than four months.

Don’t let a few months deter you from your goals. Here’s how to crack down on your budget and pull a “Hail Mary” in the fourth quarter.

Assessing your financial goals and progress.

Reflect on your goals. Did you make it close to meeting them? Would a quick spending fast get you back on track? Or do you need to entirely reassess your goals with a more realistic point of view?

Sometimes, meeting a savings goal isn’t just about how much money we have to save. The problem could be due to the saving strategy — maybe you don’t even have one. Some people find visuals helpful. If you do, track your savings goal on a savings thermometer. There are plenty of free templates available on Google and Pinterest.

Set your goals and timeline through the end of the year. Then, mark your progress. For many people, making their goals can elicit an emotional response. Seeing your success and rewarding yourself for your hard work is essential.  

Adjusting your budget to meet end-of-year expenses.

You can’t make any financial goal without mapping out a budget.

Set aside a few hours to examine your earnings and spending. This involves logging into your workplace HR database to download your pay stubs. Then, you’ll also need to log in to your bank’s dashboard and analyze your spending.

Once you have the most accurate of all your after-tax income and average spending, track it all in one spot. Myriad budgeting apps are available from You Need a Budget Rocket Money. Some people prefer using spreadsheets available through Google and Microsoft. But all you need is a pen and paper.

Once you know the money coming in and going out for essential spending, you can adjust your discretionary spending to save more. It’s imperative to be honest with your spending and savings goals. It’s psychologically rewarding to meet our goals. Make it realistic.

Planning for upcoming holiday and winter expenses.

Polls show 51% of Americans wait until the last minute to holiday shop. Procrastinating may eat up time. But those last-minute shoppers don’t know that they’re spending far more money that way.

Plan if you know you’re celebrating. Most financial experts recommend planning as early as October, once Back-to-School shopping has cooled down.

Planning holiday spending is an essential step to a fall financial check-up. Winter is right around the corner, and research consistently shows the winter holidays are the most expensive. Go back to step two and include holiday expenses in your budget.

Looking back on the last three and five holiday shopping seasons, you can gauge your typical spending. You may find some of your previous holiday budgets could’ve been condensed. Think about whether there are any holiday items you currently have that you don’t need to spend money on. Also, look around the house for items you can re-gift.

Every little bit you save can help you meet your financial goals by the end of the year.