One of the most effective ways to regulate stress and anxiety is to get organized. We prioritize spring cleaning, where we organize our living spaces, and we should do the same for our finances as well. Organizing disjointed finances can significantly improve your financial footing and your overall attitude. For seniors, especially those on a fixed income, there’s no better time to organize your finances than right now. CNBC’s Michelle Fox offers some ways on how to get financially organized.
Embrace the Mess
It’s common knowledge that when you try to clean you first make a bigger mess. That’s okay. Sometimes it takes awhile to get everything in its proper place. The same goes for our finances. Preparing for taxes or attempting to budget can create an unorganized, unfocused financial situation when we first try. The best way forward is to build a system that works for you.
Building a system takes a bit of trial and error. It works best if you find a method that keeps you focused, even if everything is still unorganized. As Fox states in her article, you can also separate the necessary from the unnecessary to get a good visual on where to get started.
Build A Budget, Then Rebuild It
The beauty of having an organizational system is that you can reuse it whenever you need it. For instance, if you’ve built a budget with income, savings, and expenses all categorized, you can use that as a template whenever you need too. Reevaluating your budget is an excellent way to get and stay organized. Building a three-month budget and understanding how your savings and expenses work in that time frame, can help you build a budget for the rest of the year.
When you organize your finances, be proactive. Categorize it to fit your specific needs, so you can see what you need to dedicate to essentials, and where you may have room for fun.
Organize Your Finances, Declutter Your Mind
It is the perfect time for seniors to get financially organized. Organized finances can help seniors gain peace-of-mind and help them achieve their retirement goals.
The Council for Retirement Security is working so that every senior can enjoy their Social Security benefits. Seniors with unorganized finances risk being unable to utilize their benefits’ full potential. Achieve financial clarity and the serenity that comes with personal organization.
