Nobody needs to tell us we’re wasting our money. Really, we know if we tend to overspend, rack up fees or never pay off credit card bills. So let’s not make Financial Resolutions this New Year, such as “I will stop wasting money.”

The only way to get the job done in 2017 is to take very specific steps, even if necessary baby steps, to tackle your challenges.

So we offer a get-down-to-it list of New Year’s Resolutions for 2017:

No. 1: Set aside cash for non-emergency emergencies.

If you have children, you know they’re going to lose something. If you own a 30-year-old refrigerator, you know it could break down. We are not talking about real emergencies here.

“If you own a car, there are going to be repairs. If you own a home, there are going to be repairs,” said Katie Bossler, a financial wellness expert for GreenPath Financial Wellness in Detroit.

Her advice: Consider the bigger bills that can hit you in 2017 and start saving a set amount each month. If you have a $2,000 medical deductible each year, set aside $167 a month. Ditto for car repairs, home repairs, extra spending on children.

To read the rest of the article, click on the Detroit Free Press article, here.

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