Clean Slate: 3 Easy Steps to Get Ready for Saving Money

It’s not too early to learn how to save money! It may feel totally overwhelming at first – especially if you just started earning your own paychecks. 

Before you decide how much to save or where you will save it – you should start with a clean slate.  Think of the tasks in this Clean Slate Checklist as the prerequisites before taking Savings 101.

You can complete these steps in a weekend, or complete one task per week. But give yourself a firm deadline. Resolve to complete the list in 30 days.

The Clean Slate Checklist to Start Saving Money

Step 1: Go on a Treasure Hunt!  Find all of your lost cash – pennies included! Search your home, your desk at work, your locker.  Don’t forget your out of rotation purses and coats, your car, the couch cushions – everywhere!  Set it aside and decide how you will use it later. 

Step 2: Collect all of your receipts. Find every crumpled up receipt littering your purse.  Look through your email. Decide what should be done with each one. Ask yourself:  Do I need this to return something I regret buying?  Does it include a coupon I want to use?  Can I scan these receipts into a rewards app?  Toss or delete all the receipts you no longer need.

Step 3: Maintain a calendar. Do you love a paper planner?  Do you need to access everything from your phone?  Either works.  Brainstorm all money-spending events and note them in your calendar. Birthdays, bills, subscriptions. Don’t forget the expenses that pop less frequently: medical co-pays, auto registration renewals, club dues, etc. 

Why You Should Complete the Clean Slate Checklist

1. Completing these small steps will create momentum. Quick wins will encourage you to take on more financial planning challenges.
2. It will help reduce anxiety around money. Every step is easy!  You’ll see that it doesn’t take a diploma.  You don’t have to be great at math.  
3. You’ll work these good habits into your daily routine. You won’t waste money because you lost a receipt and can’t return a top that doesn’t fit. You will remember you have a friend’s birthday party next month. You’ll avoid sneaky surprises that tempt you to rely on credit cards.

You’re on Your Way to Financial Success!

These beginner-level tasks are super simple but deceptively powerful. Give yourself credit for each one you complete. Within a month, your clean slate will be ready. You’ll be set up for saving money success and ready to tackle Savings 101!

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