Spring clean your finances

Spring is a great time to clean up your house after a long wet and cold winter. It’s also the perfect time to tidy up and review exactly what’s going in and what’s going out of your bank account.

Here we’ve put together a guide to help you declutter and organise your finances.

Review your financial goals
Start by revisiting your short-term and long-term financial goals. Are they still relevant? Adjust them as needed based on your current circumstances.

Budget
Review your current budget. Are you sticking to it? We know it’s tough out there at the moment with everyday items and services costing more. However, there may be areas where you can cut back and reallocate funds. Making small adjustments now could be a great help to you in the future.

Organise financial documents
A boring task but a necessary one! Sort through your paperwork and digital files. Shred or delete unnecessary documents, and organise important ones such as bank statements and insurance policies into appropriate folders.

Take a closer look at your debt
Start by listing all your debts, including credit cards, car loans, mortgages and any buy now, pay later plans you may have. Prioritise paying off high-interest debts first or consider a debt consolidation loan to simplify repayments.

Insurance policies

Review your insurance coverage, including health, life, car, and house/contents insurance. Contact your insurance provider and make adjustments if your needs have changed.

Savings and investments

Review your savings and investment accounts. How is your KiwiSaver performing? Most providers now give you the option to make adjustments. And, don’t forget, you’ll automatically receive an annual government contribution of $521.43 when you contribute at least $1,042.86 to your KiwiSaver account each year. Don’t have a KiwiSaver account? Find out more here.

Subscriptions and memberships
These sort of things can add up really quickly. Cancel any you no longer use or need. Remember, you can always re-subscribe to your favourite streaming channel when a second season of that series you’re watching starts up again.

Automate your finances
It’s easy to set up automatic transfers to your savings and bill payments. The last thing you want is missed bill payment because you forgot to pay it.

Set new financial goals
Firstly, congratulations for any financial goals you have achieved this year so far. Now’s the time to think about new ones and create a plan to achieve them. It may seem daunting at first, so break a big goals down into a series of smaller ones. You’ll find it easier and will be more motivated to reach them.

Regular check-ins
Schedule calendar notes in your phone at regular intervals throughout the year to review your financial progress and make necessary adjustments.

Remember, financial spring cleaning is an ongoing process. However the good news is, that if you keep on top of things with regular reviews, you’ll be better prepared to achieve your goals.

If you have a loan with Oxford Finance, did you know you can access your account online? Check out our Existing Customers page on our website to find out more. Alternatively, if are experiencing an unforeseen change in your financial situation, don’t leave it too late to contact us or call us on 0800 88 44 66.