Unbelievable, we are almost a month through 2009! Many of us made resolutions at the beginning of the year and chances are many of us have already broken some of those resolutions. If you want to be successful at keeping your resolution, no matter what it is from stopping smoking to curtailing your Faberge Egg purchases, you need to have a plan in place. Here are some tips to help you keep those resolutions and make permanent changes in your life.

Have a Specific, Realistic Goal – Make sure you are clear on what your resolution is. Don’t be vague and say “I need to spend less this year.” Instead, look at your spending habits from 2008 and select an area or two where you can reduce your spending and make a difference. For example, you can say “This year I will only eat dinner out once a week instead of three times a week.” Also, you need to be realistic. You will set yourself up for failure if you say “I will not eat dinner out at all this year.”

Track Your Progress – It is important that you have a system to monitor how well you are keeping your resolution. If you don’t already keep a budget, start one for just your eating out expenses. Try to compare it to last year by pulling 2008’s credit card or bank statements. Mark your calendar for when you plan to eat out and when you do eat out. Also, make it count. If you enjoy going out to eat socially, don’t “waste” your week’s meal out by stopping at the neighborhood diner by yourself; wait for Friday night with friends.

Set Yourself Up For Success – You need to plan ahead a little (sometimes a lot) to make sure you can keep that resolution. For example, if you ate out a lot in 2008 because you don’t like to cook or don’t keep food in the house, learn some simple, healthy recipes and schedule one day during the week to go to the store to get everything you need for that week. Hate grocery shopping? Look online for a grocery delivery company. It will probably be more expensive than going yourself but most likely less than eating out everyday.

Find Support – Encouragement from others is important. Seek support from your family and friends to help you stay on track. If you have a partner, make sure he or she is willing to go along with your resolution of eating out less. Make the decision together. If you don’t know how to cook there are plenty of cooking classes to attend, many of them free. Also, consider joining a group that can help you with your goal.

Reward Yourself – It is important to recognize your success and reward yourself for a job well done. If you have only eaten out once a week for three months in a row, make your next meal out special if you can. If you don’t usually order dessert, order it. Eat out at the slightly higher priced steakhouse but don’t over-do it. You wouldn’t want to negate your success with a few poor choices.

Good luck with your resolution! If you haven’t thought of one yet, now’s the time. Use these tips to help you succeed.