There might be a lot of uncertainty surrounding the tax rules these days. Don’t use that uncertainty as an excuse to avoid trying to improve your personal finances. What better time to make some resolutions for 2013 than New Year’s Day?
Last January 1st, did you make any resolutions concerning your personal finances? If so, how’d you do? Did you attain your financial goals, or was 2012 a total financial washout?
The good news about New Year’s resolutions is that you get to make new ones each year. Below are some New Year’s resolutions to improve your finances.
Pay Some Extra Principal With Your Mortgage Payment Each Month
Looking for a risk-free return on your money? By paying extra toward your mortgage each month, you’ll get a risk-free return on that money equal to your mortgage interest rate. Plus, you’ll cut down on the number of years it will take to pay off your mortgage. As a rule of thumb, try to pay extra principal each month equal to at least 10% of your total mortgage payment.
If You Don’t Own A Home, Try to Qualify For the Home Office Deduction
If you’re a renter, the rent you pay generally isn’t deductible on your federal tax return. By claiming the home office deduction, you make a portion of your rent tax deductible. To qualify, you need to use a portion of your home regularly and exclusively in connection with your trade or business. Using your office for managerial and administrative tasks qualifies. You’ll claim the home office either directly against your self-employment income on the Schedule C or as a miscellaneous itemized deduction on the Schedule A.
Save A Set Amount Of Money Each Month
Did you know that if you deposit $81.50 into your savings account each month, the account would be worth $1,000 at the end of the year? To help you reach your goal, make sure to transfer the money out of your checking account into a separate savings or investment account. By doing so, it’s more difficult to spend the money that you have managed to save.
Download our (Microsoft Excel) debt/savings calculator to calculate how much you need to set aside each month to reach a certain savings goal.
We’ll post more Resolutions in Part 2 of this series – stay tuned!
1 thought on “NEW YEAR’S RESOLUTIONS – PT 1”