Spring Cleaning for your Finances
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Spring is here. You’ve cleaned your closets and
scrubbed your baseboards.
It’s time to freshen up your finances!
Update your Budget
To stay on track, review your budget regularly. Be realistic about your income and your expenses. Each month, compare your actual expenses with your budget. For some "how to" help, check out one of these reserouces available at your library:
personal finance and planning.
Cut Your Debt
Where can you cut costs? Are you really getting your money's worth with those 250 cable channels? Do you really need a landline and a smartphone? Try the
Debt-Free Spending Plan by JoAnneh Nagler for ideas to cut costs.
Review your retirement plan
When was the last time you reviewed your 401(k) or IRA? Take time now to rethink your investment strategy and make sure it matches your retirement goals. Let the experts lend you a hand with
retirement planning resources at your library.
Make a Will
There’s no better time than now to
make a will or update one you already have. A will guarantees that your assets are distributed as you’d like. Get started planning today with books and DVDs from your library.
Get Organized
Avoid the paper pile up by
organizing and purging your documents regularly. Experts like Suze Orman recommend keeping five years of all tax documents but only two years of other financial records. If it's time to throw away outdated financial statements, shred them to guard against identity theft. You can also digitize your documents and store them electronically.
Visit your library, in person or online, for more tips to help with your financial spring cleaning.