It’s easy to make lofty money-saving goals at the beginning of a New Year, but it can be difficult to get them to stick. That’s why I want to share with you 5 practical money tips to help you stay on track with your goals in 2021. Follow these and (hopefully) you’ll start seeing some $$$ success by the end of the year. It’s not easy to adult, but you got this! Check out my top 5 money management tips now:

1. Automate Bills, Savings & Investments

   With all the technology at our fingertips these days, we have the luxury of automating a lot of “money stuff.” Set up automated bill payments with all your recurring accounts. Take any savings and investments and automate them. A great trick is to take 10% of your monthly paycheck (or whatever % is right for you) and automatically filter it straight into savings. Then, by the end of the year, you’ll have a bunch of money stacked up that you didn’t even have to think about!

2. Consolidate Savings & Close Old Accounts

   While this may sound obvious, consolidating savings and closing old accounts will clean up your financial life a lot. Also, it’ll probably save you a decent amount of money. Check with your bank or use a budgeting tool like Mint.com to link all of your accounts into a single place.

3. Hit Refresh On Your budget

   It’s always good to do at least a quarterly refresh on your budget. Tailor it to your current lifestyle and prioritize the essentials. There are many free online tools to help you do this like Google Docs, Google Spreadsheets, Ellvest, and Mint — to name a few. Check them out and find what works best for you! 

4. Set Up Autopay

   Autopay your monthly bills — think electric, internet, phone, and cable — so that you never have to worry about another missing a payment or making a late payment, which can greatly affect your credit score. It’s also a good idea to look at all your recurring charges and see what you can slash and what you should keep.

5. Put Extra $$ in a High-Yield Savings Account

   Use any extra money or savings to fund a high-yield savings account. A high-yield savings account typically pays 20 to 25 times the national average of a standard savings account, earning you a much higher interest rate. It’s a win-win!