January is a challenging month due to Christmas overspending as well as the time period between December’s early earnings and January’s payday. A February financial to-do list that can jumpstart your new year and put you on the path to financial security has been compiled by us to assist you.
1. Start saving for something
It might be time to start considering a goal for the year now that January is over. Saving for something—whether it’s a new car or a down payment on a home—is a terrific way to concentrate and get back on track.
It also doesn’t have to be a lot. A weekly savings of $50 or $100 builds up quickly over the course of a year. If you’d rather, you can automate the procedure using programs like Chip or Moneybox so that it happens without your knowledge.
2. Start checking your credit score
It’s time to check your credit score again if you haven’t done so recently. You can monitor your progress and determine when you might be qualified for better credit alternatives that might help you save money by frequently checking your credit score.
3. Start paying off your high-interest loans as soon as you can
If you have many debts, such as a loan, credit card, and overdraft, February is the best time to think about paying off your highest-interest bills because they will save you the most money.
A psychological strategy for paying off debts can be helpful in this situation: snowballing.
The goal is to eliminate all of your debt by focusing all of your efforts on eliminating just one type of debt while making the minimum payments on all of your other bills.
The theory is that paying off one debt gives you a psychological boost, which motivates you to pay off the next, and the next, and the next, until you are debt-free!
4. Start making annual spending plan
If you’re anything like us, you probably already created your annual budget in January. Why then did we include this on your financial to-do list for February?
Unsurprisingly, it’s usual to have a budget that is completely unreasonable during the month of January.
You probably declared, “I’m never getting a coffee again,” “I’m never going to go out for drinks after work,” or even, “I’m going to acquire another job!”
Now that the challenging month is over, it’s time to review your budget and evaluate your performance over the past week or two. Have you maintained it? Did you come up just a bit short? The most crucial factor is: Is it realistic?
The secret to improving your financial situation isn’t making massive, radical adjustments; rather, it’s making smaller, more gradual changes that eventually become automatic. It could be best to include that in your budget if you’re truly having to force yourself to forgo buying that coffee or spending any money.
