Getting Finances Ready for The New Year

New year, new start? As we enter 2022, it’s time to get your finances in order so you are one step closer to achieving your financial goals. Take time to reflect on how the last year has gone, and what you want for the next. Before you begin to organise and manage your money better, you need to understand your motive for doing so and keeping on top of it. It’s advisable to set yourself some financial goals. 

Financial goals? Yes! Start by asking yourself where you want to be this time next year. What do you want to achieve? Perhaps you want to buy a car, move into your own place, start saving for a house, or finally invest in the business idea you’ve always wanted to?

Good financial goals are very detailed and specific. You need to create yourself SMART goals that are:

• Specific
• Measurable
• Attainable
• Relevant
• Time-bound

Once you’re clear on your financial outlook and the reasons for getting on top of your money management, follow these top tips for acting.  

Keep Track of Your Statements 

This is a great way to pinpoint your Money habits. Taking an inventory of all your accounts, including the accounts of credit cards will give you an idea of your money habits. It will help you identify where you’re spending. Getting a sense of your monthly cash flow – what’s coming in and what’s going out – is the first step to getting on top of your monthly spending. 

Prioritise Your Necessary Bills

If your monthly salary doesn’t fund the lifestyle you want, then it’s vital to prioritise what is most important to you when it comes to bills. Many people are tempted to use same day payday loans to provide more room for spending decisions. However, it is best to manage your salary wisely. Rent, mortgage, food, utilities, and clothing should all be at the top of your priority lists when you first get paid. If some bills aren’t due to mid-month, then you can set aside money for those at the start of the month. Once the necessary bills are paid, then there’s more room for making further spending decisions. 

Categorise Expenses

It’s important to bear in mind that throughout one month, you will have fixed and variable expenses. Fixed expenses are those which are less likely to change from month to month. Examples include rent, mortgage, utility bills, insurance etc. You have more room to adjust variable expenses such as food, clothing, and travel. Categorising expenses lets you see your spend trends and areas where you could cut back. For example, “eating out” and “groceries” could be two category labels you use. By doing this, you’ll be able to note your spending habits better which may highlight areas which are costing you a lot more than you think and the possibility for saving on those

Take Advantage of Software and Apps

Budgeting apps are very useful if you are wanting to manage your money better. They are designed for on-the-go money management and automate tedious tasks such as categorising spending or transferring payments into savings. They save time and efforts. Money apps make the processes of managing money far easier as you don’t have to remember to put money away or actively tracks your spending. Your app can do this for you. 

Identify Room for Improvement

The more you keep track of and manage your monthly spending, the more you will notice areas where you can save money. Money management can be a very valuable habit for finding out what’s really costing you and what’s not as bad as you thought.