By: Brittany Frost
We are now more than a month into 2017 which begs the question: how are your financial New Year’s resolutions coming along? What steps have you taken so far to reduce your debt or save money? Maybe you’ve been so busy that you have yet to make a financial resolution this year. If so, don’t worry! December isn’t the only time for resolutions. It is never too late to resolve to take control of your finances toward a better financial future. According to a NBC News article, the most popular resolution in 2017 was “getting healthy” with specific interests in gyms and fitness (Ref. #1). Don’t forget: financial health is also important! However, if one big financial resolution overwhelms you, it may help to set mini-resolutions that are more achievable and may be easier to keep. Switch them up so they aren’t so daunting. Start now! Trim your debt and get your credit in better shape! Choose at least one of the following tips to create your own mini-resolutions today:
- If you haven’t done so in a while, go to annualcreditreport.com to pull your 3 free annual credit reports from Experian, Equifax, and TransUnion. Even if it’s scary, you need to know your credit in order to improve it.
- Pay cash for gas each month to keep it off your credit card so your balance will be lower on the next statement. 30% of your FICO credit score is calculated based on “amounts owed” so pay with cash to help keep your balances low and do not use a high percentage of your available credit (Ref. #2).
- Use a free app or paper to record every dime you spend so that the money is earmarked when you pay your credit card bill! 35% of your FICO score is calculated based on “payment history” so record and budget to pay ON TIME and in full if possible (Ref. #2).
- Go to myfico.com to learn more about how your FICO score is calculated and use that as a guideline to improve your credit.
- Try not to eat out for one week. “Brown-bag” it to save money.
- Instead of paying for a baby-sitter, swap out watching kids for free with friends.
- Negotiate everything; not just houses and cars but hotel rooms and other items. It’s always worth a try.
- Don’t just take something at face value. Shop around to compare and find the lowest price before purchasing. For example, it may be cheaper not to bundle insurance. Instead, get separate quotes from an independent agent on auto, home, and life insurance to find the best price for each.
- To keep the cost of holidays/birthdays down, give homemade gifts of baked goods or food instead of pricier, store-bought items.
- If and when you get a tax refund this year, vow to put it directly toward bills or your debt with the highest interest. Resist the temptation to splurge! It will only hurt you in the long run.
You can make resolutions any time, but the sooner the better! The key to making and keeping resolutions is not to dwell on the past, but to learn from what DIDN’T work and focus on what DOES work. Even if they seem small now, forming healthy financial habits every day can make a big difference in a year. Give your finances the time, attention, and exercise they need to get back in shape in 2017 and, before you know it, your financial resolutions will turn into regular routines!
At Christian Credit Counselors, we help consumers battling credit card debt and desiring a more positive financial future. For more tips on how to quickly improve your finances with debt counseling, please contact us.
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