Easy ways to increase financial wellness

This month LSS employees are taking part in a financial challenge to improve our own financial wellness. We are supposed to do something at least 4 times each week that will contribute to improving our financial situation and/or knowledge.

Take a look at this list below for ideas to incorporate into your life:

 Review your beneficiaries on retirement accounts 
 Skip morning coffee and save the money
 Get a free copy of your credit report at AnnualCreditReport.com
 Increase your 403B contribution
 Review your health insurance plan to understand your out of pocket expenses
 Pack your lunch instead of dining out
 Open a savings account for you or your child
 Review your interest rate on your credit card statements
 Read a blog post about personal finance on Sense and Centsibility
 Start saving for a planned event in the future
 Take steps to create a will or review your will
 Review your potential future Social Security Benefits
 Start tracking expenses
 Try a generic item instead of a ‘name brand’ of a product you typically purchase
 Go a week with charging anything on a credit card or if you do charge something, pay it off right away
 Review your cell phone bill
 Pay extra on a loan or credit card
 Start using coupons
 Plan a garage sale or sell extra items online
 While eating out, drink water instead of purchasing a beverage and save the money
 Contact your utility company or visit their website for money saving energy tips
 Start saving money in a jar
 Look for free classes through your local community education program
 Take a walk instead of a drive
 Setup auto-payments for recurring bills
 Attend a free financial counseling session to set up a budget and create a plan to pay off debt
 Open a savings account to cover potential future medical expenses
 Go one day without spending any money
 If you are carrying a balance on your credit card review the box on your statement that shows how long it will take to pay off if you are only paying the minimum payment.
 Review your insurance policies
 Enjoy a day with the family or date on the cheap

Many of these are things you could do almost every day to help save money or to stop charging/spending money.

Are YOU up for the challenge? Try it and track it for a month. You’ll be surprised what you learn and how much money you can save by making a couple small changes in your spending habits. And think about someone you could share the experience with. Challenge a friend or co-worker to skip the coffee shop or eating out for lunch and bring your coffee and lunches from home. Then see how much money you can both save!

Since 1987, LSS Financial Counseling has been helping people achieve financial goals and conquer debt.