How to have an effective "Get Organized Week"

How many times have you looked at your budget with frustration and said “I am just going to do this later” and then never got around to doing it? Staying organized when it comes to your finances is a MUST in order to keep you on track! The National Association of Professional Organizers has even launched a campaign that will motivate individuals to get organized. National Get Organized Week will start on October 4th and end on October 11th. This is the perfect time to get your finances back in order and get back on track for the upcoming New Year! This article will give you some tips on how to achieve an organized financial life.

1. Look at your budget every month. There are tons of free apps out there such as Personal Capital and GoodBudget. You can create a standard budget in these apps which will allow you to easily track your expenses while you are on the go. For some individuals, these apps work great! For individuals who may not want to keep their expenses on their phone or who may not be tech savvy, paper budgets work just as well! Apprisen even offers a Personal Financial Education service where we go through your financial goals with you and come up with a detailed budget that will help you achieve those goals!
2. Write down when your bills are due! This is going to make sure you stay up to date on if you have paid your bills as well as where your money is going. Another tip is to write down the due dates on paper and keep this sheet next to all of your bills. Usually, we recommend keeping your bills next to the method of how you are going to pay them. For example, if you tend to pay bills by check we recommend keeping them near your checkbook or if you pay them online keep them near your computer. After you have paid a bill it is best to either file or shred it. This will help you avoid any confusion on whether you have paid the bill or not and will also make help you avoid identity theft.
3. Have two bank accounts. This can help you budget out how much money you have for bills and how much you have for spending. This will keep you more organized and is a good way to make sure you do not get behind on your bills and will allow you to know exactly where your money is going.
4. Consolidate your debt into one payment. You can either take out a consolidation loan from your bank or look into a Debt Management Program. Apprisen offers a Debt Management Program that will help you lower your interest rates and get your debt paid off in 3-5 years! Consolidating your debt will also make it easy on you since you will only have one payment each month instead of multiple payments.
5. Communicate about your finances! Typically among couples, one person pays the bills while the other spouse may be out of touch with the household finances. Now is a great time to get back on the same page! Talk about your spending and financial goals with your spouse to really make sure that you can achieve those financial goals.

Getting Organized Week is a great excuse to get your life back in order! Whether that is making a new budget or deciding to open a savings account, you are going to be doing your finances a favor! Use this week to really get your finances in order before the Holiday Season so that you can bring in the New Year with some already achieved goals!