Spring is in the air. The weather is beginning to warm (most days) here in central Indiana. Spring is a perfect reset season – for everything from your wardrobe to spring cleaning. You may even want to think about sprucing up the way you handle money in the spring. In fact, April 2nd (because it’s never a good idea to begin anything on April 1), was our fresh start date back in 2008 when we began paying off debt. Here are 5 Easy Tips to begin Spring Cleaning Your Finances today.
Stop Sticking Your Head in the Sand
I think we can all easily fall victim to avoiding our money problems or even just managing our money. So if you’ve been pretending that your credit card debt was going to disappear or convincing yourself that a stack of bills doesn’t exist, it’s time to get down to business. Even if you’re just putting things off until tomorrow or next week, now is the time to get to work. Establishing a fresh start date might be a good idea. You’ll be able to track your progress more effectively if you know when you’re beginning.
Check in On Your Accounts
Once you get down to business, it’s time to see what’s up with your accounts. From regular bills to retirement savings, if it’s been awhile since you’ve checked in, let’s begin. You may want to consider printing statements and keeping them in a binder. At a bare minimum, be sure you and if you’re married your spouse both know where websites are located, documents are, and what the passwords for those accounts are, too. Log in to everything and evaluate your spending. You may even be able to consider canceling a subscription or other service while you’re at it.
Try a Pantry Challenge
Maybe April could be the month you challenge yourself to eat at home more often. And maybe you could even eat foods you already have in your fridge, freezer, and pantry. Limiting your grocery spending can help prevent impulse purchases and reduce food waste, too. You can set up your own parameters, but begin by meal planning with foods you already have. Stretch yourself to eat what’s already at home.
Look Toward the Summer
I know, I know. We’re talking about spring. But the summer months are just around the corner and they bring with them a lot of known expenses. You need to begin saving and planning STAT so that these expenses don’t catch you off guard. Some of the irregular costs associated with summer include:
- Mother’s day, Father’s Day, and Graduation Gifts
- higher electric bills due to air conditioning
- summer camp or day camp expenses for kids
- vacations
- summer wardrobe needs
- holiday plans
- summer entertainment like baseball games, festivals, and concerts
- yard and garden expenses
- back to school shopping
Sell Some Stuff
Spring is a great time to lighten your load by selling household items you no longer use. Whether you plan a garage sale or use the Facebook Marketplace, Craigslist, the Nextdoor App, or eBay, your no longer needed items could help fund some of those summer time expenses if you spend some time getting organized now. This post has some great apps for selling your stuff. For Garage Sale tips, check out these posts:
Let’s use this natural rhythm to begin again. Lean into a refreshed season to begin making long term sustainable changes when it comes to your money.
My book is now available: Slaying the Debt Dragon: How One Family Conquered Their Money Monster and Found an Inspired Happily Ever After. You can also check out The Debt Free Devotional
This post contains an affiliate link. That means when you get a great deal, learn about a way to save, or maybe even something for free, I may end up making a small commission. All prices are subject to change.
