10 Personal Finance Tips That Will Change the Way You Think About Money

First Things First: A Few Financial Basics

1. Create a Financial Calendar

If you don’t trust yourself to remember to pay your quarterly taxes or periodically pull a credit report, think about setting appointment reminders for in the same way that you would an annual doctor’s visit or car tune-up. A good place to start? Our .

2. Check Your Interest Rate

Q: Which loan should you ? A: The one with the highest interest rate. Q: Which savings account should you open? A: The one with the best interest rate. Q: Why does credit card debt give us such a headache? A: Blame it on the compound interest rate. Bottom line here: Paying attention to interest rates will help inform which debt or savings commitments you should focus on.

3. Track Your Net Worth

Your net worth—the difference between your assets and debt—is the big-picture number that can tell you . Keep an eye on it, and it can help keep you apprised of the progress you’re making toward your financial goals—or warn you if you’re backsliding.

How to Budget Like a Pro

4. Set a Budget, Period

This is the for every other goal in your life. Here’s a checklist for building .

5. Consider an All-Cash Diet

If you’re consistently overspending, this will break you out of that rut. Don’t believe us? The cash diet changed the lives of . And when went all cash, she realized that it wasn’t as scary as she thought. Really.

6. Take a Daily Money Minute

This one comes straight from LearnVest Founder and CEO Alexa von Tobel, who swears by setting aside one minute each day to check on her financial transactions. This 60-second act helps identify problems immediately, keep track of goal progress—and set your spending tone for the rest of the day!

7. Allocate at Least 20% of Your Income Toward Financial Priorities

By priorities, we mean building up emergency savings, paying off debt, and padding your retirement nest egg. Seem like a big percentage? Here’s why we .

8. Budget About 30% of Your Income for Lifestyle Spending

This includes movies, restaurants, and happy hours—basically, anything that doesn’t cover basic necessities. By abiding by the 30% rule, you can at the same time.

How to Get Money Motivated

9. Draft a Financial Vision Board

You need motivation to start adopting better money habits, and if you craft a vision board, it can help remind you to stay on track with your financial goals.

10. Set Specific Financial Goals

Use numbers and dates, not just words, to describe what you with your money. How much debt do you want to pay off—and when? How much do you want saved, and by what date?