DECLUTTERING FINANCES IN THE NEW YEAR

New Year is arriving quickly and usually this is the time when you start to say inthis new Year I will change, I'll do etc. etc, but I noticed that in the end of the month of December finances are always not so healty, I still not understood why also if you plan December is a very expensive month!!!

But with some adjustments you can save situation and your account will be healtier and you start to put rocks for your future financial goals, short/medium/long term.

At the beginning it could seems a sort of mission impossible, then you'll find fund and interesting side of bdgeting, yes is true if you save and you have debt to repay you'll see every month the amount in your balance increasing and then decreasing, but hey you're payin off the debt...apart mortage the best deal is to repay the debt in a max of 3 years.

In this past months I'm finding lovely article about finance, budget in Cosmopolitan (italian and UK) and Goodhousekeeping (US;UK) and the following tips are from last issue of Goodhousekeeping UK-I must to admit that I already use some of this tips-

1. KEEP A DIARY: use a noebook, a pc program, where you need to write all purchases you do daily, yep also the 20 cents candy, €5 foundation  so you can see the areas where you are overspending and you need to do adjustments. usually I use a daily notebook to write expenses and old calculatur, plus control on my online banking.
2. MAKE BLACK THE NEW RED: no I'm not kidding, I noticed that December is my most expensive motnh, I have alot of payments to do plus Xmas gifts and attend some Xmas events, but also if your bank balance is not so good write a plan understanding how much and for how many time you need to pay off your credit card, and stick it...I know at the beginning it is very hard (for me it is been extremely hard the first month) stick notes on your pc desktop to remind you why you must to resist to shopping's impulse!
3. STOP DEBT IN ITS TRACK: Stop to use credit card (they are helpful but without a good plan andimistration is easily overspend for stupid stuff you don't really need), then look in the web for credit card with 0% balance transfer, payng the rate of it in time fix a budget and a day to do everything.
4. SLIM DOW YOUR OOUTGOINGS: IS true also if you try to reduce bills there are almost always EXTRA to pays so remember that some things can wait February, other are important and you MUST to pay NOW:Mortage/rent, household bills (utilities, phone), food, car cost, insurances (car, home, animals, life), pension contributions.
5. CAH ONLY JANUARY: When you understood your weekly budget put it in the wallet, forget the plastic cards at home and use only cash, sticking the budget, yep also on grocery store-this is why is essential do a weekly meal plan and respect it!
6. BEWARE THE MONEY LEECHES: I noticed that a lot of friend of mine said that have some problems with their balance, then asking daily habits they buy almost daily coffee in the bar and newspaper...considering that a normal coffee in ITaly is from €0,80 to €1, this means a cost between €24 to 30 plus newpaper are average of €1.20 per newspaper that means a cost of €36 so if we combine the two bills we spent almost €100 monthly when you can reduce bringing coffee from home at least 2/3 times per week, and for newspaper you can choiche digital or you can do subscription (it saves a lot of money in the year).
7. TURN OVER A NEW LEAF: Now you plan all big expenses to do in the year, having goals improves your resistence and to be less tempted open a separate account only to deposit savings and dont touch it for a year.
8. DOUBLE DETOX: one of classic new year goals is lose weight and be fit, why don't do both? in iternet there are gym free lessions, trainers, and doign it at home or in the park with a friend you're saving money for gym member ship...this is a really good deal!!!
9. START A NEW RELATIONSHIP WITH YOUR BANK: Compare your bank with offer, understand the cost and which is the best oprion for you, use online banking, honestly since I moved from normal bank account to inline banking the situation is really better I see if my budget is working well or not, but having the opportunty to see it every 2-3 days is good so I can see if that week I spent too much and where.