How to get your finances ready for the new year

by Chris Gottschalk, First Alliance Credit Union

For most people, January is a time to prepare for the year ahead. The most popular way to do that is by making New Year’s resolutions, but people also like to prepare by cleaning their homes, scheduling medical appointments and even taking advantage of post-holiday sales.

If you really want to own the new year, though, you’ll also want to make sure your finances are prepared for the year ahead. This might sound like a complicated, tedious process, but it’s really not.

Here’s how to prepare for the new year financially

Review your budget

This step should come as no surprise for long-time readers of our blog, but there’s a good reason for that. A budget is the single most powerful tool you have for not just controlling your finances, but cutting down on overspending and reaching your financial goals. However, you need to keep a budget current  for it to be effective.

 

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