13 Ways to Improve Your Finances This Year

If you feel like you need to improve your finances, you are not the only one. Let BBB® tell you all about these 13 ways to improve your finances this year. And no, you won’t have to cut back on anything. Isn’t that great?

Think about all those magazines you get every month: how many of them do you really read? And if you have a gym membership, do you use it or it’s just draining your bank account for no reason? Be realistic about your expenses and your bank account will thank you!

Most people don’t realize that they can lower their bills by negotiating a little! In fact, you can even lower your credit card rate- all you need to do is ask!

An increase of 1 or 2 percent will go unnoticed in your everyday life, but it will make a world of difference when you retire!

Here’s what you need to do: take a pen and a piece of paper and calculate how much money you need every month for groceries, medical expenses, mortgages, car payments, bills and fun money (dining out, going to the movies). Be realistic about it, though. When you have your total, compare it to your monthly earnings. You can send the money difference to your savings account. But who wants to deal with that every month? Fortunately, now you can make your savings automatic, which saves you a lot of trouble.

Almost a third of millennials’ paychecks goes to restaurants and dining out. If you are no chef but can cook a decent meal, it’s time you did that more often! Start with online recipes that are easy to follow and add as many vegetables to your meals as you can!

Chances are, if you follow the previous steps, you will have a little more cash to play with. Instead of buying useless items, make an extra payment toward a debt. If you have a car payment or a mortgage, try adding $100 each month. It may not seem like much now, but it can shorten your loan period by a whole year!

Click here for additional ways to help improve your finances.