In our monthly poll for January, many of you told us that you resolved to improve your financial health in 2014. January was also National Financial Wellness Month and we challenged you to take a closer look at your finances and take the pledge to change how you feel about money. Before you can take a close look at your financial situation and improve it, our credit counseling advice is to get organized. It just so happens that January is also National Get Organized Month!
Become more organized with our credit counseling resources.
As the month winds down and comes to a close, it’s time to assess how organized you are when it comes to your finances. If you organize all of your bills, expenses, and income, you will be able to see the most accurate picture of your financial situation, which will help you make the most informed financial decisions possible.
Use these helpful articles and resources to help you get organized for a debt-free and financially healthy new year:
If you have credit card debt, a mortgage, or student loans, it is crucial that you know how to manage debt. Use this Talking Cents post to learn how to pay off debt by simply organizing your bills and creating a calendar. (Download ACCC’s free Bill Payment Schedule here.)
Once you’ve organized your debt, you should start to track and prioritize your debts. Check out this post to learn how and download ACCC’s Debt Tracker spreadsheet for help.
It’s also important that you organize your financial records and documents related to your car, bank accounts, credit, employment, insurance, medical records, residence, retirement savings, schools, social security, taxes, etc. Download ACCC’s Financial Workbook and check out pages 9-10 for a worksheet that will help you stay on top of all of your important documents. (This workbook is also a great source tracking your daily expenses, bills, personal assets, net worth, household inventory, and much more.)
Organizing your home and personal life can also help you live a financially healthy life. When your home is free of clutter, your mind is free to focus on other things. And you can even make some extra cash by decluttering your home and selling what you don’t need. Check out Albie’s post on decluttering for more tips.
Do some early financial spring cleaning! Analyze your expenses and look for ways to cut back on housing and utilities, insurance, food, transportation, health care, and clothing and services. Download’s ACCC Save by Cutting Back guide for tips.
If you’re struggling to pay off debt, ACCC can help. Schedule a free credit counseling session with us today.
