Keep your financial resolutions by avoiding these three mistakes

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (FOX 13) - The new year usually comes with resolutions, and for many, that means being more responsible with money.

However, those resolutions tend to turn into empty promises by the middle of the year.

"One of the biggest mistakes that I see is people giving up on their budget in the first three months, usually by April people have derailed from their financial goals because budgeting is hard," said Jen Smith, a personal finance writer at The Penny Hoarder.

According to Smith, people should try to avoid three simple mistakes in order to fulfill their budget resolutions.

The first is to accept that you won't always stick to your budget. The important thing is to try to get back on track as soon as possible.

Secondly, Smith said don't try to track your expenses. Instead, plan ahead.

"That's kind of like deciding you want to go to this year's Superbowl after your season has ended," said Smith. "So in order to reach any of your financial goals, you have to make a plan ahead of time."

Third, don't be too restrictive.

"If there's something that you want to cut out, you can cut it out gradually, you don't have to just cold turkey cut things out of your budget," said Smith.