Spring Clean Your Finances
What is the Money Date? A weekly time to check in. 3 things we review and update: 1. Spending 2. Earning 3. Savings
Spring is here! New energy is flowing and many of us tend to want to get out more, maybe clean out our homes and closets. But what about our finances?
Here are 5 tips to get you going in the right direction:
Shred all financial files/Go paperless
Sort through your old statements, pay stubs, bills and other financial records and keep only the documents that are absolutely necessary. If you’re unsure about throwing away certain types of receipts, scan them or make a copy, then go ahead and shred! Only tax-related documents and tax returns need to be kept for seven years.
Review your credit report and credit score
I recommend doing this every 4 months. You need to know your score, but you also need to review your report for any suspicious activity.
Reset passwords
Do you have duplicate or easy-to-guess passwords? Do you use two-factor authentication? Think about steps to make your online information more secure. It’s also a best practice to use a password manager like LastPass and to have a back-up system.
Review your Spending Plan
Review all your outgoing expenses and compare those bills to your net income, or your take-home pay. The key here is to make sure you are not deficit spending – or spending more money than you’re earning. Also, change your mindset about budgeting. Don’t look at it as a negative thing. Instead, view your budget as an empowering tool. It’s something that gives you a spending plan of action and helps you prioritize where you put your hard-earned dollars.
Create Your Own Financial Calendar
Set reminders throughout the year to do things like review insurance policies, get a credit report or rebalance investments. Just stay on top of things!
