Sunday, November 08, 2009

A Home for the Holidays: Day 8

Today, we are going to give some extra attention to the financial aspect of our lives. I know it's probably not something you like to think about, but clearing some of the clutter (both tangible and intangible) can definitely make it less stressful.

Here is a list of suggestions to spend your hour or so on:

* Pay any outstanding or upcoming bills
* Gather all paper piles around the house, sort, purge, and file. Purge your files, too.
* Set financial goals, create or evaluate your budget (you should have some Christmas help from Day 3 ;) ) One of your financial goals might be a plan of attack if you are bad at impulse buying like me - something like "I must consult my husband for purchasing items over $25" or "I have to wait a week to see if I still want to buy it" or "I can have it, but I have to wait until I have enough money in my personal spending account"
* Gather up loose change and cash and take it to your bank so you can earn interest and it won't take up space in your house. You could even use this money to pay toward the principal of your highest-interest debt.
* Set up online bill pay or automatic withdrawls to reduce your monthly bill-paying time (if you know you are good at keeping money in the account to avoid overdrafts. Or, see if your bank or credit union or another you can join offers overdraft protection.)

Any other ideas? Post them in the comments!

No comments: