Five practical tips to get your money into shape - starting now!

April is the start of a brand new year, at least where your finances are concerned. January is usually when we say ‘time to get healthy’, speaking about our bodies and even our minds, but have you ever thought about doing the same thing for your money?

We know that money can be overwhelming to think about, particularly if you don’t know where to start. That’s why we’ve outlined five simple and instantly-actionable ways for you to start taking control of your money. 

Be a goal getter

Setting money goals gives you something to aim for in the long term, but puts in place the short-term ways that’ll help you get there. Whether your goal is to start building an emergency fund, pay off some debt or put more away for retirement, the most important thing you need to do to make it a reality is making a start!

Review your money

You can’t know what to tackle until you know where you stand. First look at how each area of your finances is performing. Take a look at your bank account balances, your savings if you have managed to start an emergency fund, pension pots, outgoings, and any debt you need to pay off. That way, you’ll have a much better understanding of which areas need some focus. For example, if you have debts, have you explored the different options available to help you potentially pay them off faster and cheaper? Which brings us to our next tip…

Money messages

“I’m no good with money”

“I’ll never pay off this debt”

“I can’t really afford this but I’ll put it on my credit card”

Sound familiar? We all talk to ourselves about money, but many of us like to bend the truth or can be negative in the beliefs we hold over it. These internal stories we tell ourselves can affect the way we think and act about money. Why not rethink your money beliefs and start the financial year with a new outlook?

Money moments

Holidays, birthdays, Christmas, back-to-school uniforms. The list of events or ‘moments’ that we need to account for throughout the year can be seemingly endless. But, it doesn’t have to be stressful. We think there’s a simple way to plan for these things with our Smart Spending System, where you can take care of the essentials, the future, and all the other fun and important things that might not always get written down on the budget. Read more about the Smart Spending system here to get started.

We hope you find these tips helpful and that you can get started on making this your best year yet when it comes to money.