It’s spring time and that means it’s time to clean out the cupboards and have the upholstery steam cleaned. It’s also an excellent time to review your annual finances and ensure you are living your most comfortable and most efficient lifestyle. In this post we look at some of the ways you can optimize your finances for better results. Remember, this list is not extensive.
Self Restraint
When it comes to a springtime financial health check it’s time to review your spending habits over the past few months. Chances are you will have spent money in unexpected places, for certain holidays and special occasions, but you want to find those times where you have needlessly overspent.
This is an opportunity to look back into your recent history and view your spending behaviour from above. You should be able to see overspending and make a decision on whether it’s a viable practice going forward.
Tempting Environments
It’s surprising how influential an environment can be on your spending habits, but in some cases it’s pivotal. Would you buy take out food from the shop, for instance, if it wasn’t so easily available? And would you buy those online products if the sales process was more tricky – probably not.
The environment you inhabit will encourage your spending to a greater or lesser degree. An environment can also mean a situation, such as when you finish work and browse the Internet or on pay day. Consider environments and how they affect your spending.
Emotions and Money
Most people don’t realize how connected their emotional lives are to their financial lives. In most cases the spending patterns directly correlate with how you feel. If you are an anxious person you probably spend more than someone who is content.
If you struggle with money or you want to improve your finances this spring investigate your emotional life. You can do this by journalism and meditation. Try to find your space of contentment, where you are free from attachment and craving.
Checking Accounts
Everyone has a checking account. These are the accounts you use to access money on a daily basis. They are extremely ‘liquid meaning there are very few barriers to withdrawing and depositing your money. However, checking accounts are a great place to store money.
When you do your springtime review consider what interest rate you have on your checking account. You might also consider a personal loan from Plenti, they are a responsible lender with five star reviews who can help make your money go further.
Investments
Even if you think you don’t invest you probably do. A checking account that accuses interest is an investment at a basic level. A pension fund is also an investment as your money grows based on the financial markets. If you have a little extra, think about investing it for the future.
A future investment fund is a good idea to cover unexpected events and losses, or to save for a rainy day. There are several options available, you could transfer your extra money into a high interest savings account or a tax free savings account.
