6 Tips for Spring Cleaning Your Finances

With spring upon us, the new season makes for the perfect opportunity to comb through your finances. Whether it be trimming down on spending or reshaping your budget, there are plenty of ways to improve your finances for the better. We’ve rounded up some tips that can help you get the process started!

1. Adjust your budget

A solid budget is essential when it comes to financial well-being. While you might think the budget approach you’ve been using for years is solid, it never hurts to take a closer look.

Analyze your budget and decide whether it has been helpful in accomplishing your financial goals. If not, consider researching other methods out there and determining how you can adjust your current methods.

2. Check your credit report

To know where to stand financially, it’s important to regularly check your credit score. Because a credit report is an overview of history, account diversity, and similar financial markers, checking your credit score can provide great insight into your finances. You can receive one copy of your credit report per year for free from each major credit bureau: Experian, Equifax, and TransUnion.

3. Grow your emergency fund

An emergency fund is essentially a reserve of money that can be accessed in a time of need.

Sometimes referred to as a rainy-day fund, the money can be used for unexpected expenses like home or auto repairs.

The point of an emergency fund is to give you easy access to cash rather than having to rely on loans or credit. Many experts recommend that you should try to save three to six months’ worth of living expenses in this fund.

4. Pay down debt

Carrying around debt can keep you from moving ahead with your finances. If you’re constantly making payments on growing debts, especially with high-interest rates, it can be more difficult to put money toward other expenses.

Spring is a great time to make sure that debt management is a solid part of your budget. There are a number of helpful debt paydown approaches out there that can make paying down your debts easier within the confines of your finances.

5. Invest in retirement

If you plan to retire one day, it’s important to begin saving early on. The earlier that you can divert funds into a savings option like a 401(k) or IRA, the more time your money will have to grow with interest, specifically compound interest. By beginning your retirement savings early on, you can have your money work for you.

6. Improve your day-to-day spending habits

What better way to embrace spring cleaning than by tidying up your spending habits? It’s a great time to reevaluate any bad habits you might have been harboring.

Not happy with your choice to order out multiple times a week for dinner? Create a plan of attack for cutting down or eliminating ordering. Opting for rideshare rather than public transport more than you would like? Take a look at the small daily habits that are stopping you from accomplishing your financial goals.

The bottom line

The spring season is a great opportunity to reflect on your finances. By checking in and potentially reevaluating what is working versus what is not, you can make adjustments that help to align your finances with your overall goals.