5 ways to spring-clean your finances #MoneyMondays
One of the first things I did when I was made redundant, was to spring-clean my finances. Cancel any standing orders and direct debits, that were not essential. Now TV, Netflix, iTunes subscriptions are all luxuries. I scoured my bank statements to see what was leaving my bank account each month and what could go.
So make today the day you do some financial spring-cleaning. Payday is on the horizon, which is when I set most of my payments to clear my account. It’s time to do my annual spring-clean and clear out any monthly and annual subscriptions that are costing me money. These payments all add up!
1. Standing Orders / Direct Debits
It’s always good to check your standing orders and direct debits to see what is leaving your account each month. It is surprising to see how much these accumulate over time. Decide what is a must-have, what is a luxury and what you don’t use anymore. Ensure you are not in breach of any contracts you may have before you cancel. This is your first port of call to start spring-cleaning your finances.
2. Subscriptions
Check all of your statements – it’s amazing how many subscriptions you may have signed up to. I noticed back in February that a monthly subscription of £11.99 had started to come out of my account for an escort service! Again, another subscription had started up for £34.99 last month. I contacted the companies in question to ask for a refund, one of which is refusing to – so this one is still in dispute. However, if I hadn’t noticed, this would have been a recurring monthly payment, so I am glad the damage isn’t as bad as if I had left it. I had also signed up for £2.99 to scanmypost.co.uk as a trial for my business, which I don’t use and forgot to cancel. I have various iTunes subscriptions leaving my account too, which needs investigating! None of these is listed under my direct debits and standing orders, so it’s important to check your bank account each month regularly. That goes not just for current accounts but for credit cards too.
3. Spending App
I can’t stress enough how the spending app helps me. I use my Monzo Card, which categorises my cash spending, but a spending app is something you can use to track ALL expenses. It’s easy to start spending on credit cards when the cash runs out, so make sure you know where your money goes each month. You will see where you are overspending. I couldn’t do without it now!
4. Bank on the go
If you have a smartphone, there is no excuse not to check your bank accounts and credit card balances on your phone. I have Monzo, Lloyds, Barclays, RBS and Capital One all on my phone, and I check them weekly, if not daily. That way, I can understand how much I am overspending and the balance at all times. It doesn’t take too long to set up. If you don’t have access to their app, take advantage of their online banking and ensure you check in – at least every month!
5. Credit card charges
I used to let my credit card go over its limit without even spending. I had maxed out my credit cards so much that I would forget that when interest was applied, it would send me over my credit limit, and I would receive default charges. Make sure this doesn’t happen to you. Credit card companies are usually fine to negotiate with if you keep communicating with them. If you ring them up and ask for the charges to be removed, they will usually waive them. Be firm and confident and ask for the charges to be credited to your account and the default notice removed to avoid affecting your credit file and rating.
