With the starting of the new year, this is a new chance for you to get your finances in order. It’s the time to deal with all the things that might have gotten left behind until now. It is also the time to start planning ahead, and checking things off your financial to-do list.

But first- check your free credit report online and know your financial standing. A credit report is like a report card of your borrowing history. It includes detailed information about your credit cards and loans so far, and a score provided by the credit agency. Checking your credit report will tell you if you are in a good financial shape or not. Additionally, it can also help you ensure that none of your information is being misused.

Here are some more things you can do to get your finances in order before the end of the year:

• Make a Habit of Knowing Where Your Money Is Going:
  

  We all complain that money always disappears right out of our hands. This is because we don’t keep a check on where our money is going. A good financial habit to adopt is to use a good spend analyzer. You can easily download a good spend analyzer for your phone.
  
  This will help you because it will tell you exactly how much you are spending, and on what. It will give you a chance to reorganize your finances, and prioritize your spending.

   

• Put Your Bills on Autopay:

  We all have certain bills that need to be paid every month. Be it rent payment, or phone bills, or even credit card bills. With the help of net banking or credit card, you can put these bills on autopay so that they get paid on certain dates automatically.
  
  Putting your bills on autopay is a good financial habit to adopt because this can help you avoid missing any EMI payments, or any other important payments. This can relieve a lot of stress when it comes to your finances.

   

• Make a Habit of Cutting Out Expenses You Don’t Really Need:

  The expensive pair of headphones you only bought because they were enticing, do you really need them? A good financial habit to adopt is to ask yourself what do you really need and what is a shopping spree. Then cut out the things you don’t really need. This way you can keep yourself from giving in to temptation and overspending.

   

• Start Planning Ahead for Your Expenses:

  Be it expenses on household purchases, or gadgets, or vacation, or any other big expenses, we all have an idea of the expenses ahead. A good financial habit to adopt is to start planning ahead for your upcoming expenses.
  
  You can of course start with saving for any big expenses in the near future. You can also apply for a Personal Loan for the bigger expenses such as vacations or weddings. You can also use your credit card to turn your bigger everyday expenses into EMIs. Thus, you can make all your spends without any financial stress.

   

• Automate Your Savings

  We always complain that we are not able to save as much as we want to. This is because we all try to save the money that is left at the end. However, that is a very bad idea.
  
  A good financial habit to adopt is to automate your savings. According to your budget, decide an amount that you are comfortable putting away every month, and set up a Recurring Deposit for that. You can also open a separate bank account for your savings, and set up an auto transfer for the same amount. Do it preferably for a day very close to your salary day, so that you can make the payments without any stress.
  
  This way, your savings will get put away automatically, before you start spending your salary.

   

While it may seem easier to simply push off your financial planning until next year and bundle it together with all of your other New Year’s resolutions, the better idea is to get them done now! So, it’s time for you to list down, and get started!