Financial resolutions for 2026: What Americans want — and how to reach your money goals

If you love that little hit of dopamine you get whenever you see your savings account tick up, even just a few dollars, you’re not alone. A recent Wells Fargo financial survey found that 72% of Americans said saving makes them happy and a whopping 81% said it feels like self-care. This suggests that people want to feel better, not just do better.

The emotional side of money: Why saving feels like self‑care

Feeling good about your finances can start with a few smart spending tips that can turn savings into something that feels natural and not like a sacrifice. When your daily choices protect essentials and move a little money toward goals, saving can become the result of living well. Pairing that with financial goal setting can add a feeling of confidence and make it easier to say no to unnecessary spending.

“The survey findings tell us that when people feel in control of their money, it has a positive association with self‑care, happiness, and freedom,” said Chris Starr, head of deposits at Wells Fargo. “Having a clear plan for how you spend and save can go a long way in lowering stress.”

In general, Starr said that consumers are quite healthy and confident, except when it comes to achieving financial resolutions. “People like setting goals — it feels good — but sticking with them over time is the hard part,” he said. “It’s the ongoing part that gets people, not the desire to want something better.”

The most effective saving habits start small and feel manageable, which is why they tend to last. And when you pair smart spending with easy-to-adopt habits, saving can start to feel good, instead of something daunting.

Change comes from simple actions you can repeat — ones that build confidence, help you see steady progress, and carry you through the days when motivation dips. As you think about your 2026 financial goals, the survey suggests most people are aiming for realistic changes they can sustain week to week. And when you look at how Americans plan to improve money habits in 2026, the survey shows most people want better habits as well as the systems that support them.

Why do most people struggle to stay consistent?

Even with strong intentions, it’s common to run into obstacles. Nearly two-thirds (64%) agree setting goals is easy, but sticking to financial resolutions is where they have difficulty. People tend to fall out of financial routines for a few common reasons:

• Systems don’t support the behavior. Many people rely on discipline alone, but without guardrails or automatic processes, habits can fall apart the moment life gets stressful.

The good news? These challenges don’t mean you’re bad with money. They just mean your system needs to do more of the work for you.

What habits actually make financial goals stick?

The follow‑through comes from tiny actions you can repeat on your busiest days. The habits that work don’t overhaul your life. Instead, they give you steady, bite-sized wins that make you want to keep going.

Start by giving yourself a timeframe that feels realistic. You’re making a schedule to create a rhythm, not to add pressure. “You shouldn’t penalize yourself if it takes a little bit longer,” Starr said. “The point is: Are you doing the things you need to do? Are you monitoring your progress? It’s okay to adjust your plan.”

Who’s in your corner?

“Find an accountability partner — your spouse, a friend, or family member — somebody you can check in with and share where you are and get advice or feedback on how it’s going,” Starr said.

Habit 1: Make your goals visible

This habit is about clarity, motivation, and emotional reinforcement.

• Name your goal. It might be tuition, a down payment, a new car, a vacation, or a starter emergency cushion. Wells Fargo customers can use LifeSync® in the Wells Fargo Mobile® app¹to set and name goals.
• Give your accounts nicknames so you know exactly what each one is for at a glance: Dream Vacation, Everyday Essentials, Move‑Out Money, Nest Egg, Just‑in‑Case Fund.
• Use a dashboard to track your progress visually. Wells Fargo customers can use Budget Watch, My Spending Plan, and LifeSync® to see where their money is going and how their goals are growing.

When you can see your goals every day, they feel more real. In fact, the survey found that 85% of people say clear financial goals make them feel more confident. “Creating and tracking goals gives people the visibility and accountability they like,” Starr said.

Habit 2: Automate what you want to repeat

Leaning on automation can take some of the work off your plate.

Starr recommends opening a dedicated savings account that’s separate from your day-to-day banking. Then set up an auto‑transfer² from each paycheck, say $25 or whatever works for you, that goes right into your new savings account. “It’s flexible, out of sight, out of mind, and will make you think: ‘I can do this,’” he said.

Many savings accounts offer tools that move designated amounts from checking to savings when you make everyday purchases. Wells Fargo customers who have activated Save As You Go®³ can automatically transfer⁴ $1 from their linked Wells Fargo checking account to their Way2Save® Savings⁵ Account for every completed Bill Pay or one‑time debit card purchase.

Automating creates immediate momentum and protects your goals on the days you’re busy, stressed, or tempted to skip saving.

Habit 3: Build guardrails to keep you on track

If you’re one of the 47% who say they often spend impulsively even when trying to save, go easy on yourself. “Eliminating impulse purchases isn’t realistic or completely necessary,” said Starr. “It’s about creating a balance between spending and saving.”

Guardrails work because they slow you down when temptation hits and limit how much you can overspend. They nudge you toward decisions you already want to make. Test-drive a few of these to see what works for you:

Slow impulsive actions: These tools interrupt the impulse, so you have a moment to think before spending.

• Turn your card off⁶ during higher‑temptation periods.
• Set low‑balance or spending alerts.⁷

Shape spending behavior: These reduce friction and make overspending less likely.

• Try debit‑only weeks to “feel” spending.
• Set clear limits for categories, such as dining or outings, so you don’t spend more than planned.

Structure your money: These give your dollars a job and protect your goals automatically.

• Automatically transfer² money from your paycheck to savings so less is available for impulse buys.
• Set up spend‑vs‑save buckets so you know exactly what’s truly “free” to use.

Boost motivation: Keep your goals visible.

• Use LifeSync or budgeting dashboards to visualize progress.

This is so your system supports your habits and not the other way around. The most successful savers aren’t the most disciplined, but they are the ones whose money system is set up to make good decisions easy.

The “envelope concept” — separating your money into buckets for rent and groceries, fun money, or emergencies — helps you see what you truly have available so you’re not overspending without realizing it. “Opening a separate account for a vacation or another goal is a really good strategy,” Starr said. When your money system matches how you actually live, smart spending becomes automatic and saving becomes easier.

If you’re just starting and you want a quick confidence boost, these actions are designed to help you build momentum and make saving feel doable. You may even save your first $50 or $100.

Micro‑move #1: Take inventory before you change anything

Before you try to “fix” anything, just get clear on where your money is going and where it’s coming from. Starr says the first thing to do is take stock of what you’re spending, your income, and what interest rates you’re paying on debt like loans, mortgage, or credit cards. “A lot of people don’t even know where their money is,” he said. “Getting started is the key. And to do that, it’s about understanding your own data first.”

This matters for you because understanding where your money goes gives you clarity, which makes every other financial habit easier to start. Once you can see the picture, make one or two modest changes. Those steps create a snowball effect over time.

Wells Fargo customers can ask the Fargo®⁸ Virtual Assistant to provide a summary of spending down to the merchant and category.

More first‑week wins you can feel right away

Choose whichever of these feels doable with what you have going on this week. Don’t worry about trying to do them all.

• Round up purchases to the nearest $1 or $10 and transfer the extra to savings.
• Cut one category by $5 to $15, for example, groceries or transportation.
• Try a spending “pause day.”
• Set up a monthly auto‑transfer² of $10 to $25 from your paycheck to your savings.

Wells Fargo customers can:

• Use LifeSync to set one goal.
• Use My Spending Report to spot one pattern to shift.

“Once you set the goal, you have to create behaviors that are repeatable and achievable … celebrate the small milestones,” Starr said.

What this unlocks: Feeling progress early makes the whole process feel lighter, easier, and energizing.

Here’s a simple plan to get moving on building an emergency fund or savings. How long you stay in each stage is up to you.

• Stage 1: Save $100–$500 with round‑ups + weekly $10 auto‑transfer² to savings.
• Stage 2: Build $500–$1,000 by adding a $25 to $50 biweekly transfer² to savings and cutting one monthly subscription.
• Stage 3: Reach one month’s worth of expenses using buckets, alerts, and occasional side‑income boosts.

And if you’re not seeing immediate results, give yourself some grace. “It won’t happen in two weeks, and that’s ok,” Starr said. “But when you build the right behaviors, check in often, adjust as needed, and reward yourself along the way, your good habits will become sustainable. Remember, your goals should lift you up, not weigh you down.”