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1. Open a Separate Bank Account

You know your finances could use some serious TLC, but you’ve been putting it off… and off… and off.

When you finally do sit down to think about it, you immediately become overwhelmed. Which goal do you attack first?

You need a budget, a savings plan, a debt repayment strategy, a better credit score, a plan for retirement, and… oh, you’re running away again, aren’t you?

Calm down, and come back. To tackle big goals, you have to start small.

Here are a few simple steps you can take today to get your finances under control and start working toward a healthier financial future.

The first step we recommend for organizing your finances and boosting savings is opening a separate bank account.

Operating everything out of one checking account can make your finances muddy and contribute undue stress to your money management.

To simplify, open a second account for a dedicated purpose. One of our favorites is Aspiration’s Summit Checking Account — there are no fees and you’ll earn up to 100 times the interest rate of other banks.

This online-only checking account comes with a debit card and free ATMs, so you can easily access your money when you need it.

After you open your Summit Checking Account, use it to split your income:

Automatically deposit a portion of your income into your existing bank account, and use that to cover basic expenses like rent and bills.

Deposit what’s left into your Summit Account to use for fun stuff, like eating out, shopping or going on vacation.

2. Start a Passive Income Stream

We’re at no loss for smart ways to earn extra money without doing extra work, but here’s one you can actually start right now.

Install these apps on your smartphone, and earn money every month you keep them installed — $600 or more per year!

+ Swagbucks: Most of you already know about this company, but did you know that they will pay you to watch movie previews, celebrity videos, the latest news, along with dozens of other videos? You can earn up to $225/month, plus they give you $5 just for signing up.

+ Paribus: Let this company scan your email archives for receipts and they’ll look for companies that owe you money. It’s completely passive — if there’s a price drop on something you purchased, Paribus will get you a refund!

+ ShopTracker: This is another set it and forget it platform. This company will pay you up to $40/year to share what you’re purchasing on Amazon. It’s not a ton of money, but it takes about 2 minutes to set up and then you never have to think about it again.

+ SavvyConnect – You can earn $5 per device (phone, tablet, computer) for each month SavvyConnect is installed. That’s a total of up to $180 per year to help rank the most popular sites and apps. Make sure you keep it installed at least a month to get your first $5 per device.

+ MobileExpressions for Android – This one can only be downloaded on Android. After you’ve installed it for one week, you get to play an instant rewards game for a prize (everyone wins something). I won a $25 Amazon gift card, but some of the other prizes include iPads & Samsung TVs.

3. Have a Glass of Wine And Look at Your Credit Score

Portrait of businesswoman working on laptop

I know, I know. None of us want to do this.

But did you know that 25% of Americans have an error on their credit report that is likely bringing down their score? And those poor scores can hinder every part of your financal wellness…

Banks and credit card companies aren’t the only ones who look at your credit score. I’ve had to authorize a credit check whenever I want to move into a new apartment, rent a car with my debit card and buy a new phone.

So, pour yourself a glass of wine and check your credit score for free on a site like Credit Sesame. You’ll also get a free credit report card to show you exactly where your credit shines… and where it could use some improvement.

There are other sites that do this, but I like that Credit Sesame offers personalized recommendations so I can learn more about my own credit and debt situation.

4. Sell Your Old Stuff

Another simple way to boost your savings with a quick injection is to sell off some of your old stuff. You probably have more than you think!

Clear your shelves of unused video games, CDs, DVDs and Blu-Rays, and sell them on Decluttr.

Do you really need to hold onto your dusty copy of “National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation” for another year?

Decluttr is a lot easier than selling direct through an online marketplace. You can unload all your old media at once, ship to Decluttr for free and get paid cash within a day, once they accept your order.

Similarly, get rid of old college textbooks and earn extra money using Bookscouter.

BookScouter helps you find the best-paying and most reputable textbook buyback companies online. Just type your book’s ISBN into the search, and you’ll see which companies will offer you the most for it.

Most buyback companies offer prepaid shipping, so you won’t have to worry about that. And you can choose how you’ll be paid, usually via PayPal.

5. Join a Savings Challenge

One of the best motivators for achieving major goals is, simply, success. Once you see how much you can achieve with just a little effort, the next steps become easier.

The Brightpeak Financial $500 Savings Challenge offers a great start to tackle your savings goals.

Boost your financial health with this challenge to put away $500 in seven days. Sign up for free to get a week’s worth of daily saving activities and expert advice delivered straight to your inbox.

Along with this savings account injection, you’ll also learn tips and tricks to develop smart saving habits, so you can build on this week’s success.

6. Start Investing Without the Hassle

Are you ready to start growing your money, but intimidated by the stock market?

So were we.

But we found this smartphone app called Clink, which lets you start investing with as little as $1 per day.

Plus, new users can get a $5 sign-up bonus right now when you download the app.

Clink is automated, so you don’t have to learn how to actively manage investments. You’ll link your bank account and decide how much you want to invest and how often — daily, weekly, bi-weekly or monthly.

Alternatively, you can link your credit card, and Clink will invest a percentage of what you spend — so every splurge also means more savings!

To get the $5 bonus, download the Clink smartphone app and set up your account with the same email address. Be sure to use the promo code: PH2016

7. Take Steps to Pay Down Student Loan Debt

Like many people, you might find the strongest negative mark on your credit report is student loan debt.

Student loans can strain your budget every month, making it harder to save. They rack up interest, costing you thousands of dollars over time. When you can’t afford payments, your credit score suffers.

If you’re struggling to pay and out of options, refinancing could help you pay down student loan debt faster.

Check out a company like LendKey to find a lower interest rate and/or lower monthly payment.

Refinancing with a private lender could mean a simpler repayment process and savings over time. We recently interviewed a graduate that cut his payment in half just by refinancing!

8. Outsource Time-Sucking Tasks

If any of this sounds overwhelming because you just don’t have the time, it might be time to enlist some help.

The Moonlighting marketplace lets you connect with people looking for work. Hiring freelancers to help with grocery shopping, cleaning the house or making travel plans will free up your time to focus on money-making tasks.

You could use your free hours to start a side hustle, launch a blog or even just clear your head so you can be more productive at work.

Or maybe you’re paying for daycare? You could pay far less for a little help around the house, leaving you free to watch the kids!

Download the Moonlighting app here to get started.

9. Protect Your Identity

If you’re like me, once you have your money under control, you won’t want to lose any of it — especially not to scammers or an identity protection service that prevents scams.

We recommend using a free site like True Identity to keep tabs on your finances. It’ll send you an alert by email, phone or text if someone tries to apply for credit in your name. Then, you can easily freeze your TransUnion credit report until you’re all clear again.

Think you’re invincible? So did our staff writer, Jamie Cattanach. When she was 18, someone opened an AT&T account in her name. She assumed it wasn’t hers, so she didn’t acknowledge the bill — until debt collectors began phoning her.

Before driving face first into a total credit nightmare, you might as well keep tabs on your stuff — especially if you can do it for free.

Your Turn: Will you take the challenge to boost your savings this week?

Disclosure: This post includes affiliate links. Adding these links helps us keep the lights on in The Penny Hoarder HQ, which makes it a lot easier to play shuffleboard after a long day of deal-seeking!

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Joan's Journal

Friday, January 13, 2017

Retirement