How To Get Your Finances In Order This Year

Want help staying on budget this year? Check out The 2018 Budget Organizer here! Get it now for the special launch price of $2.99!

It’s the new year, and we all want to make goals. Many of us plan to get our finances in order. Think about how much less stressful life would be if we had all our ducks in a row and we had less to worry about. Because, heaven knows how many people stress and lose sleep over money… or lack thereof. You may look at your bank account and watch as the dollars start to dwindle and you’re not quite sure how you are going to pay the next bill or buy food, etc.

Here are 5 things you can do today to get your finances in order this year!

  1. Start a budget and stick to it (check out my post on how to budget here).
    • Budgets aren’t lame, but rather they give you freedom to spend. Sounds crazy, right? I tend to live on the frugally extreme end, so having a budget in place gives me permission to spend money where, normally, I would try not to.
    • For example, we put eating out into our budget to give us permission and the freedom to go out to eat without feeling guilty. But, it also gives us guidelines to make sure we don’t start eating out too much.
    • Figure out a plan for the year.
      • Think about all the things that come up for the year and try to plan for them. Christmas is the same day every year, so add it to the budget and create a Christmas fund that gets money put into it automatically every monthWe add $50 a month to our Christmas Fund, and when December rolls around, we magically have $600 in the account that seemed painless to save.
    • How about other expenses that may pop up every year that we often forget about? For example, registration payments, car insurance, life insurance, memberships (Amazon Prime), etc.
  2. Create an emergency fund for that rainy day. (Check out how to build an emergency fund fast.)
    • If you are in debt, it is recommended to have at least $500 for low income families and $1000 in your account for any unexpected expenses that may come up.
    • If you have no debt, you should build up your emergency fund to include 3-6 months worth of expenses.
  3. Pay down debt, or more importantly, try to pay it off. (You can read about our debt free journey here.)
    • Get crazy about paying off your debt.
    • Set your budget and stick to it.
    • Figure out extreme ways to cut expenses (check out 90 Ways To Save Money).
    • Earn extra money
      • I started this blog to help earn extra money and it has allowed me to stay home and make an income. Learn how to start a blog here!
      • There are so many ways to make extra money. You just may have to get a little creative.
  4. Look for help
    • There are lots of ways to get help with your finances online these days and these services may be crucial for your home life or business. You may want to hire a trusted certified public accounting firm to help you or your business with your finances.
  5. Stay out of debt
    • Once you get out of debt… stay out. Don’t work so hard just to put yourself back into the same place.
    • Plan for the inevitable, like getting a new car one day. Eventually your car will break and you will have to get a new one, so start saving today. That way you can pay cash.
  6. Be content
    • Yes, I said it. One of the biggest problems we face is that we aren’t content with what we already have, and we try to keep up with others (who are probably broke anyhow). By being content, you won’t waste money trying to buy the latest fashions and have the newest technology.

What are your financial goals this year?

Want help staying on budget this year? Check out The 2018 Budget Organizer here! Get it now for the special launch price of $2.99!

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