No matter your age, chances are your financial life could be simpler. Do you have three or four different

checking or savings accounts, multiple IRAs or 401(k)s or have trouble keeping track of bill payments? Many of us may answer a resounding “yes” to any or all of those, but it’s time to take back our time and eliminate everything standing in the way of our financial goals and passions in life.

Last week was National Simplify Your Life Week, so we decided to offer up these tips to help you simplify the financial side of your life.

• Focus on one goal at a time- regardless if you’re attacking your debt, saving for a down payment or building an emergency fund, commit to the one goal until it’s met.
• Consolidate accounts- this goes for checking, savings and retirement accounts. Fewer accounts = less time wasted managing them.
• Pay off your credit cards- especially if you have debt issues or carry high balances. Pay it off, shred your statements and say goodbye to paying interest on your balances. 
• Budget with pen and paper- if you can’t write out your budget, it’s too complex. Writing it out helps you understand where our money is going and can decrease wasteful spending.
• Experiment with money “hacks”- try out “no spending days” or create a 30-day list for must-have purchases. If you don’t need them after 30 days, you don’t need them.
• Think big picture- forget about monthly payments, how much will that new big screen cost in your lifetime? Thinking “total cost” will help prevent impulse spending.
• Package services- package your insurance needs, phone/data services, etc. with one company. This reduces confusion with payments and usually results in a discount. Also, make a list of what you need before you start shopping to eliminate unnecessary add-ons. (Tip: LSB offers multiple policy discounts on insurance, contact us to learn more!)

Another way to simplify your finances is to speak with a Lincoln Savings Bank financial planners and use our online Budget Plus tool to keep track of your expenses.

We’ll be back later this week with another blog post about simplifying your money troubles, so check back!