The leaves are changing color, and the days are getting shorter. Yes, autumn is in full swing. It might be sad to see the summer end, but that doesn’t mean the year is over just yet. You still have plenty of time to turn your finances around with our five financial fixes.

1. Make time for your finances

Between your job, family, social obligations, and everything else going on in life, you might like you don’t have enough time to spend sifting through your finances. As a result, most people fail to make time in their week or month to sit down and analyze their financial position, whether it be with budgeting, managing debt, or investments.

You first need to set a time to take these important considerations into account. Only then will you be able to make better decisions when it comes to your financial life.

2. Leverage technology to your benefit

Gone are the days of manually balancing your income and expenses or using a calculator to determine your monthly budget. In today’s digital world, many apps and software services can help you immensely with your finances.

Here are a few of them:

• Automated investing platforms (i.e., Bondora Go & Grow)
• Budgeting apps (i.e., Mint)
• Savings apps (i.e., Acorns)
• Challenger banks (i.e., Monzo)
• Credit monitoring services (i.e., Credit Karma)

These tools will not only save you time, but they will also be more accurate and precise than manually attempting to balance a budget or invest on your own. Try some of these solutions, or find the apps that work best for you.

3. Change your mentality

To set yourself up for financial success, you first need to believe it’s not only possible, but certain. Instead of identifying what you lack, change your mentality to identify abundance in your life. Don’t just think about money; think about everything that makes your life feel abundant, from your children to your relationships, and so on. This shift in mindset will bring you more into a state of abundance and wealth and help you approach your finances differently.

Understanding that you have everything you already need is a great way to open yourself up to the joy of life. Yes, having more will always seem better, but if you can’t see the joys of your life as they already are, you won’t have the ability to do so even if you earn twice your current salary or win the lottery.

As Ayn Rand once said, “Money is only a tool. It will take you wherever you wish, but it will not replace you as the driver.”

4. Comb over your bank and credit card spending

While digital and mobile services have made banking more accessible than ever, it has also caused many people to overlook things costing them money. For one, it’s not uncommon to be charged incorrect amounts by merchants, whether on purpose or in error. In the old days, it was more common for people to sit down with their credit card statement, identify these incorrect charges, and have them immediately corrected. However, most people today don’t take the time to do this, which can be costly.

Another benefit of going over your statements is to identify recurring charges that you can do without. Maybe you enjoy splurging on a home streaming service, but you could do without the other subscription you’ve barely used in the past year.

5. Plan for the holidays early

The holiday season can be stressful. Between the family meals and presents, the last few months are often the most expensive. Unfortunately, people get caught off guard every year and feel forced to spend more money than needed on gifts and other holiday season furnishings.

The alternative is to start planning for the holidays early. That way, you can make better financial decisions around this time of year and be more prepared to limit your spending.

Here are a few things you can do to get started with early holiday spending:

• Make homemade gifts – Nothing says I love you like a unique gift you made from scratch.
• Buy as early as you can – Don’t wait until the last minute for your Christmas tree—it will cost you.
• Take advantage of deals – Black Friday and Cyber Monday can offer the best deals of the year (But remember to shop responsibly).
• Consider cheaper travel options – Instead of flying to the family, think about taking a bus or train instead.

Don’t wait another season to get your finances in order

There is no better time to fix your finances than right now. After all, before you know it, the snow will start falling, and the holiday season will be upon us. For now, take the time to go over your finances, change your mentality, and plan. These finance fixes will make your life that much easier in the coming months.

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