Organize Your Finances

Cheat Sheet

Here's a quick cheat sheet for tackling your home office and financial clutter:

• Create a vision for the space where you handle your finances. There should be an inbox for bills to be paid and whatever supplies you need to pay them (computer or checkbook, envelopes, and stamps).
• Overcome obstacles that prevent you from doing paperwork. Come clean with yourself and your partner and prepare to move forward.
• Commit time, even if it's only twenty minutes during which you sort and shred every day. Just make sure you prioritize your current paperwork. Handle new papers first, then spend leftover time dealing with the old.
• Communicate with your partner about your shared vision for managing your finances. If you aren't both committed, you won't succeed.
• Set boundaries. Live within your means. If you tend to overspend, give yourself a twenty-four-hour cooling-off period before committing to a purchase.
• Make changes. Only by changing the role stuff plays in your life will you be able to stop buying more things, let go of the clutter, and find a financial balance that makes sense for the life you want.
• Live in the present, but set aside funds for the future as soon as a paycheck comes in so you can live with the confidence that you'll continue to enjoy life.
• Face fears. Owning up to your money troubles is the first step toward solving them. If you ignore debt, it gets worse fast.
• Celebrate successes. As you simplify your finances, you will feel more relaxed and secure. You work hard for your money. Enjoy knowing that you're making the most of it.