Spring is a time of refresh and renewal, with many using this season as a springboard for new goals and intentions for the coming year.   

There are many areas in our lives where renewal is needed and welcomed. If you’re ready to say goodbye to winter’s long, stale season, it’s time to welcome the refreshing and energizing season of spring.  Like many areas of our lives, our money habits can also become stale. Here are a few strategies to refresh your finances.   

1) Try a financial challenge to test your discipline and meet a goal 

• To save extra bucks over the next few months, try a savings challenge, such as the 100-envelope challenge, the five-dollar challenge, or even a nickel challenge.  
• Challenge yourself to a new financial habit. Try a no-spend month, where you don’t spend any excess money for 30 days. Maybe take a break from online shopping for a few weeks. If you’re brave, try to avoid using your credit cards for a month and pay with only a debit card or cash.   

2) Try spring cleaning your devices.   

• Clean out your email inboxes. If you get an overabundance of emails trying to get you to shop for their latest styles or products, give yourself a break and unsubscribe. If you’re like me, you get multiple emails daily from companies offering new deals or discounts designed to get you to purchase. Go through and unsubscribe to stop getting those tempting messages pressuring you to shop.   
• Go through your phone and uninstall shopping apps that you find yourself scrolling through to stave off boredom. Also, turn off push notifications to reduce the temptation to spend money.   

3) Set up a time for a monthly financial check-in  

• Set up a time once a month to review your finances and budget.  
• Take time to determine how much money you’re bringing in.   
• Take note and track how much money you spent over the last month on food, activities, and other expenses.  
• The closer you pay attention to your income and expenses, the better control you can adjust as needed.   

4) Take time to shop around for better pricing  

• Take note of everything you’re paying regularly, such as your cell phone bill, internet bill, insurance, and streaming subscriptions.  
• Take note of how much you’re currently paying for each item, and then explore other providers or vendors and compare pricing.   
• When you’re ready, reach out to your existing provider to try and negotiate a better price for your existing plan. They may offer an adjustment to lower the bill to keep your business.   

If you’re ready to refresh your finances this season, there are many ways to get started. Try a few or all of these ideas to start your spring off motivated and ready to rock!