“Defense wins championships” is a common phrase used in the sports world. While high-powered offenses are “flashy” and can certainly carry teams to success, oftentimes the teams with the most stout, consistent, and opportunistic defenses reach championship levels. As I was reading the book, The Millionaire Next Door, by Thomas J. Stanley, I found a lot of parallels to this sports truism and the world of personal finance.

Now that the holidays are over, the gyms are packed, the New Year’s diet begins, and budgeting apps are plentiful to try and start the year off on the right foot. I took about 10 days off from the gym to give my body a rest and enjoy the holidays, which was filled with travel, poor but delicious eating, and a bunch of unnecessary spending on presents, beer exchanges, you name it. Like many others, I set a bunch of goals, got back on my routine, and hit the gym full force on January 1.