How To Improve Your Financial Year

Every year, without fail, my local gym gets absolutely packed around the start of the year. All the people looking to lose a few pounds as part of their New Year’s resolutions come into the gym. Within a few weeks, they start to thin out. By February and March, all is back to “normal.” The reason why resolutions fail is because we try to make huge drastic changes in our lives and very few of them stick. This year, I want to suggest a few smaller, less drastic changes, that will help you both financially and in life.
By making these small changes today, you can have a big impact on the year and, should they stick, a lasting impact on your life.
Tweak Your Withholding

If you get a tax refund check each year, you might want to tweak your withholding and stop giving Uncle Sam an interest free loan each year. The average tax refund last year was nearly three thousand dollars – would you like an extra $250 of your own money in your own pocket each month? Of course you would. Use the IRS’s withholding calculator to find out how you can adjust your answers on the W-4.
Try a New Hobby
A new year means new opportunity, why not make this year the year you try something new? Maybe there’s a hobby you’ve always wanted to try but just couldn’t find the time? When choosing a hobby, be sure to find a way to “test” it out before you throw yourself 100% at it. Some hobbies require a lot of up front cost while others can be introduced little by little. The last thing you want is additional clutter from all the abandoned hobbies you tried!
Opt Out of Marketing Mail
This will significantly reduce the amount of preapproved credit card offers and other financial junk mail you will receive and help protect your identity. Thieves can’t steal your mail if you reduce the amount of sensitive mail you receive. If you have an existing business relationship with a company, call them and ask to be removed from their internal marketing mailing list. For example, if you have a company’s credit card, they have the right to send you marketing mailings because you already have one of their cards. Opt out today and you won’t have to do it again for five years (or forever if you prefer).