5 Financial New Year Resolutions You Might Want to Try

Every new year comes with more New Year’s resolutions. Here are five you might want to put on your list.

1. Have a Plan

Set aside some time in 2017 to go over your finances and see how you’ve been doing. Are you following a budget? Do you need to? There might be some lifestyle changes you need to make to stay on top of your bills. You might have to put together a budget for an upcoming event or start saving for your children’s education. Set aside time to figure out where you stand and how you plan to afford your expenses for the year. Consider reevaluating that plan every three months to make sure you are on the same page or make any adjustments.

2. Set Up an Emergency Fund

If you don’t have an emergency fund already, now is the time to create one. Make 2017 the year you are always prepared, even for unexpected expenses. You never know when your heat will break or you need a car repair. An emergency fund can be an easy fix for an unexpected expense and keep you out of debt at the same time. (Not sure where your finances stand? You can view two of your credit scores, updated every 14 days, for free on Credit.com.)

3. Pay Off Your Credit Card

If your credit card has a balance, now is the time to pay it off. The new year is a fresh start to your life, so why not make it a fresh start for your credit card as well? If you have multiple credit cards with a balance, then you might want to focus on paying one balance down at a time. Continue to make the monthly payments on all cards, although you might want to make biweekly payments to the credit card with the highest interest to see a decrease in your overall balance.

If you have a large amount of credit card debt and aren’t sure how to repay it, you might want to consult with a debt attorney or bankruptcy attorney to weigh your options. It can’t hurt to ask. Consider making a list of your questions before seeking help.

4. Check Your Statements Regularly

Do you check your statements every month? Are you aware of how much money is in your bank account at all times? Make it a New Year’s resolution to always check your finances. You might want to consider signing up for online banking or downloading your bank’s app to help you stay organized. If you are always in the know, then you will always have an idea of how much debt you have, how much you can spend and if there have been any irregularities in your account.

5. Save for an Event

Have anything big planned for 2017? You might want to make a list of financial goals and pick one to start with. Maybe you and your partner have always wanted to go on a tropical vacation together but never had the money. Now is the time. Put a little money aside each month and give yourself an end date. You might want to give yourself a year to save, depending on how much you’ll need. Be sure to check your budget before you save for your goal. You don’t want to fall into debt because you were putting too much money into your savings and didn’t leave enough over to live on.

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