Steps to a Money Makeover
Three finance experts on the changes to make now (and later).
O, The Oprah Magazine | From the September 2012 issue of O, The Oprah Magazine
Photo: Thinkstock
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Do This Now: Wait 24 hours before pulling the trigger on any impulse purchase, be it a magazine or an outfit. You’ll feel less inclined to buy once the initial shopping rush wears off, but the idea that the purchase is just “delayed”, rather than forbidden, makes the habit sustainable. Do This Soon: Your credit score impacts interest rates on everything from a home mortgage to a credit card. Get motivated to improve that score—which is often as simple as paying down outstanding debt—by asking your lender about the potential savings (a mere 60-point improvement can reduce your credit card rate as much as 10 percent). O reader exclusive: Get a 90-day trial to SavvyMoney Pro for $1, plus a chance to enter into a sweepstakes to get $1000 in debt paid off at SavvyMoney.com/Omagmakeover Next: How to save $162 a month |
