Five Ways to Fix Your Finances Today

fixing your finances right now

So it’s already March; that doesn’t mean you can’t start a new New Year’s resolution right now. It’s three months into the year, but we like to think that you can start a new resolution to get your finances in order as quickly as possible by doing all the things that you can to improve them in a matter of just minutes. For example, did you know that you can take one week out of your life and really make a lasting impression on your finances that’s actually positive? We have a few things you can do right now – or later this week – to put you in a better place.

Add to your 401k

Head down to HR or put through a quick email to the person in charge of that stuff in the morning. Ask him or her to send up the paperwork you need to sign to increase your retirement contributions. Even if it’s just $10 additional every pay period, you’re saving more and improving your finances.

Check your credit report

If it’s good, great! If there are some mistakes on there, get to figuring them out and have them fixed. It takes a little time to do this, so acting now ensures that you’re not stuck with a mortgage rate that’s too high or even a denial on a car loan or credit card application thanks to a mistake that is not yours to begin with.

Set up an automatic savings

If you don’t have this already, talk to HR about it. Have a certain amount deducted from every paycheck and put directly into your savings account before you even see that check. This is money you will never miss, and it will go into your savings rather than into the CEO of Starbucks’ pocket.

Set up automatic payments

It might not seem like a big deal, but it means never forgetting to pay your credit card bill on time, or your cell phone bill on the due date. That means fewer late payments, less time you have to spend writing out checks and scheduling payments and more time you can spend relaxing.

Negotiate your expenses

Perhaps it’s time to call your cable provider and tell them that you’d like to cancel your service and switch to a new provider since you’re paying too much. You can either actually cancel and do that for a cheaper plan, or let your current provider talk you into sticking around by offering you some serious discounts for big savings. Now is the time to do it, because you can save a bundle in no time at all.

Photo by Getty Images

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