Her Financial Goal: Cutting Back on an Online Shopping Habit

Everyone has things they want to improve about their financial lives -- even those of us who are paid to write and think about money on a daily basis. To that end, some of the editors at AOL and DailyFinance have shared their financial goals for 2013. In return, I reached out to some experts for tips that can help these folks -- and everyone who has a similar resolution -- step-by-step their way toward making these goals reality.

Krisanne Alcantara of AOL Real Estate wants to set aside 20 percent of every paycheck automatically in high interest online savings account. But her more challenging goal may be to curb her online shopping habit.

"Like most 26-year-old females, I've got Asos.com, and Net-a-Porter.com, and Shopbop.com, and Amazon.com, bookmarked for easy lunchtime retail therapy without leaving my desk," says Krisanne. "And while it's convenient and fun to shop online -- and on my iPhone -- retailers make it too easy to get sucked into impulse buys and overspending. I want to save money by actively curbing my online shopping expenditures, or at least learn how to shop more responsibly."

Here's what Jean had to say:

Step 1: To automatically deduct the 20 percent directly from your paycheck, you'll need to visit your company's HR department. This process is similar to the one you went through when you set up direct deposit to your checking account, says financial planner Stacy Francis, founder of SavvyLadies.com. "You'll need to give them the bank name, the bank address, routing number, and the savings account number," she says.

Step 2: Think about why you shop online in the first place. Do you visit Rue La La when you're bored? Sad? Angry? Maybe it's even simpler than that; maybe you shop because the emails you get from your favorite websites are too hard to resist. Unsubscribe! (That's what I did!). Then find another coping mechanism for emotions that lead you to shopping. Whether you pick running, yoga or kickboxing, chances are your new activity will be good for the wallet and the body.

Coming Thursday: A Photo Editor Hoping to Modify an Underwater Mortgage

Or, read the previous article in the series: Her Financial Goal: Win at the Refinancing Game

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