I hope you’ve been soaking up those spontaneous summer vibes 🌞🍹, but now it’s time to buckle up because fall is approaching, and it’s time to get our lives and our finances back on track.
I know, I know, summer can be a major temptation factory with concert szn and vacations 🏖️. It’s soooo easy to lose track of our finances when we’re living our best lives. But hey, it happens to the best of us!
That’s where our secret weapon comes in—the “fall money cleanse”! Consider it a power move to review your spending habits with laser focus, so you can make the necessary changes to finish the year on a high note!
So grab your pumpkin spice latte, aka the official beverage of fall ☕, and get ready to dive into a step-by-step guide to a fall financial cleanse. 🍁📆
In this post, we are sharing a step-by-step guide on how to conduct a fall money cleanse.
In today’s edition:
- Learn to Conduct a Financial Cleanse: Discover the art of conducting a financial audit to regain control of your finances.
- Actionable Steps for Financial Wellness: Unlock practical steps to enhance your financial well-being and pave the way for financial success.—Priceless Peep
🤫 Let’s fill you in on the secret
How to Conduct A Fall Money Cleanse 🍂💰
With inflation lurking and economic uncertainties creeping in, it’s definitely time to give some extra TLC to our finances. 💸 No one said it’s gonna be easy-peasy, lemon-squeezy. 😅 It might require a bit of extra effort, but trust me, it’ll be totally worth it in the long run! 🏃♀️💰
So let’s break this down ⬇️
How can you put in that extra effort and make those dollar bills work harder for you?
Start with a look back 👀
When it comes to getting our financial house in order, sometimes it’s best to start by looking backward. For a fall financial cleanse, the first step is to revisit those New Year’s goals and resolutions you set way back in January. 🗓️ Take a moment to evaluate your progress and see where adjustments may be needed.
One effective method to kick off your financial cleanse is to track your spending over the last few months by poring over credit card and bank statements. Yes, this will be time consuming but trust me IT’S WORTH IT!!
This will allow you to identify any unexpected expenses that have popped up and take a closer look at why it may have been challenging to save. With inflation looming over our everyday expenses, it’s important to consider that sometimes, even when we follow our budget to a tee, some things are out of our control.
The good news is that by evaluating your spending habits through a financial audit, you can make small changes going forward without dwelling on previous missteps. This gives you the opportunity to learn from the past and make smarter choices in the future. 💪💡
Remember, knowing where your money is going is a crucial shift that can help you change your habits and strive for financial success. So let’s start by taking a closer look at where our money is being spent, make those necessary changes, and keep working our way towards our financial goals!
Establish a new morning habit ☕️
Time to add a little something to your morning routine! If you haven’t gotten into the budgeting game yet, no worries! Fall is the perfect season to give it a go. And in my opinion, the zero-based budgeting method is where it’s at! 📊
Here’s the breakdown:
1️⃣ Start by listing out all your monthly expenses.
2️⃣ Jot down your monthly income.
3️⃣ Allocate that cash among different categories that suit your needs until you reach zero. We’re talking about necessities, desires, debt payoff, investments, and more! 💸💡
Now, here comes the fun part of your new morning routine: Take a quick peek at your budget and bank account every day. Trust me, it’ll get your brain in the right space when you’re thinking about bills, goals, and all the glorious stuff you want to achieve. 💭 And when it’s time to make spending decisions later in the day, your balances and goals will be fresh in your mind.
Prioritize paying off debt 💸
Listen up, because this is essential! With interest rates on the rise, now is the perfect time to put on your debt-crushing cape and prioritize paying off that high-interest or variable-rate debt, like credit card debt. 💳
Before you start stashing away cash into your savings: Tackle that high-interest debt head-on! If you’re being hit with a whopping 18% or higher interest rate on your credit card, it’s a total no-brainer. Focus on paying off that debt first, because yields on savings accounts are far lower than those interest rates.
Here are two effective plans to kick debt out of your life!
👉 The Avalanche Method is all about tackling your debts with the highest interest rates first, while making minimum payments on the rest. It’s like an epic snowball effect, gathering momentum as it rolls through your debts and crushing them one by one! ❄️🔥
👉 The Snowball Method is all about gaining confidence and motivation by paying off the debts with the lowest balances first. As you kick those smaller debts to the curb, you’ll gain momentum and conquer the bigger ones like a true financial wizard! ⚡🧙♂️
Prioritize your debt and watch your future self give you a big virtual high-five for being a smart money master.
📰 In the News:
What a Gen Zer who paid off over $50,000 of debt says people get wrong about saving money….
So, turns out we’ve been totally wrong about saving money. It’s not some daunting, never-ending task that makes us want to pull our hair out. Nope, according to Berna Anat, author of “Money Out Loud,” saving is actually one of the best things we can do for our lives! 🙌
She knows what’s up because she paid off over $50,000 in debt and started saving money to reach her life goals. She found herself drowning in $42,000 of student loans and added another $12,000 in credit card debt after moving to NYC. But guess what? She taught herself how to pay off that debt, and here’s the kicker: budgeting was the key that unlocked all the best parts of her adult life, including saving money! 🤯
In Anat’s words, saving money unlocks our wildest dreams. Whether you’re dreaming of buying stuff, buying experiences, or buying time, saving money is the secret to achieving that sweet, sweet freedom we all crave.
When you deposit money into your savings, think of it as sticking money into the pocket of your future self. 🌟 Whether it’s for a fabulous vacation or a worry-free retirement, your future self will thank you big-time!
🧋Taylor’s Toolkit:
Your budget doesn’t have to be boring… 💸
Let’s face it, budgeting and debt aren’t exactly the most fun words in the dictionary, am I right? That’s why it’s super important to build some treats into your budget! 🍭
Remember when we talked about the categories in your zero-based budget? Well, this is the perfect place to personalize and make room for those fun things that make us happy! For me, that means shopping for a new blush, grabbing a good book, or indulging in some boba. 🛍️🧋
When you’re building your budget, don’t forget to make space for the things that bring you joy! For some of us, that splurge might be grabbing a latte before work. ☕
And here’s the best part: instead of feeling guilty, give yourself permission to enjoy life and treat yourself! Make it its own category in your budget and set aside a bit of money each month just for that purpose. 🤑
