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Having enough money to get by is fundamental to living a comfortable and independent life. While enough may be a relative term, maximizing whatever much or little you make sometimes boils down to how effectively you organize your finances.

A lack of financial organization can do as much harm to your finances as being short of cash. Unfortunately, many people leave their finances disorganized, blaming it on tight schedules. But it doesn’t have to be complicated.

If you are ready to start organizing your personal finances, these simple ideas will help you make the most headway toward your money goals.

Keep all your financial documents in a safe place and replace them if need be

One of the most crucial aspects of organizing your finances is keeping all your financial records safe. Your personal financial documents will come in handy when filing your tax returns.

One of the most critical documents necessary when filing your tax returns are your paystub. You must hold on to your pay stubs until you reconcile the pay stubs’ figures with the W-2 form issued annually.

If you have lost your paystubs, using an online check stub maker can help you generate duplicates without contacting your employer.

Keep your bills in one place

Most bills arrive electronically. However, some such as homeowners’ insurance bills, property tax, and other bills paid annually or quarterly generally arrive by mail. Therefore, it is essential to ensure that you have a common storage place for all the bills that come by mail.

A cabinet near your desk where you usually write your checks or pay bills would be ideal for keeping them. Alternatively, you may want to scan them as they arrive and store them in digital storage to ensure they are safe.

Having your bills in one place ensures that none escapes your attention and that you pay them on time to avoid delays and bills pile up.

Track your spending

It is vital to keep track of your spending. Surprisingly, many people do not know how much they spend in a month, resulting in overspending or falling behind on their saving targets. To establish your spending habits, you may want to look at the bank statements from the past couple of months.

The numbers on your statement should give you an idea of your spending, including what you need to cut back or improve on. You may be surprised that a lot of your spending could be going towards accidentals like vending machine snacks or coffee.

Create a budget

There is no talking about financial organization without mentioning budgeting. Once you identify poor spending habits through tracking, create a budget that reflects how you intend to spend your money differently.

To create a budget, start by listing your total income followed by your monthly bills in their order of priority. Make sure you adjust your expenses to fit your income while considering savings. As much as possible, ensure that you stick to the budget.

Take advantage of technology

Managing finances like everything else has been made easier by technology. There are many apps on the internet that are designed to help users manage their finances. These apps are designed for smartphone and desktop users and can help create budgets, payment reminders and store critical financial records.

Do your research to find the apps that best suit your needs. It would also help to read the reviews of an app before using it to ensure that the safety of your information will be upheld while using the applications.

We’ve probably all heard it before that whatever the mind can conceive and believe, it can achieve. This is quite possibly why people often advise you to adjust your mindset accordingly and prepare yourself mentally before any significant undertaking. A mindset shift does not happen overnight, particularly if you are preparing for something that is long-term and entails developing a new habit or practice.

Mindset Shift

When it comes to managing your finances and gaining better control of that aspect of your life, you’ll require small daily habits and changes that make their impact over time. In fact, psychologists have confirmed that the brain is designed to develop and learn new things and habits. Although some things may come easy and more naturally, others require a bit more practice and intention. For some people, budgeting and financial management are second nature, but that’s not the case for others.

Steps to Take Towards Managing Your Finances Better

Taking control of your finances is an ongoing activity; therefore, it requires constant monitoring and tracking of progress. The next best thing is to thoroughly assess your personal finances for those who are not getting ongoing assistance from a financial advisor because of their costs and track record of relatively poor performance. You can then start implementing action that will ensure that you attain financial stability and possibly financial freedom. All the steps listed below require mental readiness and a high level of discipline.

Do Away with Debt

Over time, some people may incur unnecessary and unwanted debt without even realizing it. This can be anything from clothing accounts to cell phone accounts, which ultimately eats away at any earnings that you may have before you even receive the funds. Getting out of debt requires mental strength coupled with action. Depending on how deep in debt you are, you could dedicate a certain number of months to settle all your credit. That means that for those months, you may pursue one-off jobs, cut down on eating out, and assign all those funds to your debt instead.

Budget Effectively

Once you have settled your debt, any money that comes in is now truly yours. At this point, you can start to better allocate your funds as necessary. While some people do a financial budget, not everybody budgets effectively. Budgeting effectively entails stipulating exactly how much you will allocate to each aspect of your life and be honest about it. It is futile to prepare a budget that you cannot stick to just because it looks good on paper; it needs to be realistic.

Consider Multiple Streams of Income

One way to stay afloat and ensure that you have disposable income to save each month is to secure multiple streams of income. This also provides cushioning and comfort should you lose your primary source of income or require additional funds for unexpected life challenges. Moreover, the additional earned income can be allocated solely to your savings.

Explore Investment Options

If you have money to save, it is even better to explore well-researched investments and forex trading options with your disposable income. Given the risk that comes with investing, you should not invest all your excess funds in the hopes of obtaining higher rewards. Invest only what you can afford to lose. Other than forex, you can look into several other less-risky investment alternatives, such as index mutual funds.

Conclusion

Everything you do starts with the mind; it is, therefore, crucial to adopt the right mindset to carry you through when looking to take control of your finances.

Personal finance has become somewhat of a buzz phrase or trending topic lately. Money was once considered to be a taboo subject with people keeping their business to themselves and only discussing their money moves with professionals, but now all bets are off and some of the savviest individuals in the industry are happy to share their tips and tricks for all to benefit from. This is good news for the those of us who care about our money, and want to see it grow, but do not want to be fully consumed by the subject in general, and/or lack the passion for the subject. Finding a way to be passive about money in terms of how much you enjoy it as a hobby and still building wealth and making smart moves within your personal finance is tough, but not impossible.

Cultivate Low Maintenance Growth

One way to build wealth but not have to tend to your money is to find places to keep or invest your cash that require little to no maintenance. A 401k or an IRA are two great examples of this. If you have an employer sponsored retirement account, or a personally funded IRA, all you must do is include a monthly contribution in your existing budget, and the account does the rest of the work for you. Earning you money over time and storing your cash out of sight and out of mind means that you can focus on your financial future without much worry or attention.

Life insurance policies are another great way to focus on the future, in an automated way. Contributing to a life insurance policy means two things, one, that you will have money available to dependents or beneficiaries upon your death, or two, that you will have somewhere to go when you need cash that you may not have anticipated needing. You can sell your life insurance policy for cash quickly if your policy is eligible. Thanks to this site here you have an opportunity to explore if you qualify and what the value of your policy might be with no commitment to sell.

Build Finance into Your Routine

Another great way to focus on your personal finance that feels natural is to build it into your existing routine. Even if you are someone who does not enjoy the topic of money as a hobby or passion you can still incorporate it into your life. Podcasts are a great example of a way to do this. If you enjoy listening to podcasts, check out ones that have a casual approach to personal finance. Often these series are full of tips and tricks that you can benefit from, but they are presented in a real-world, and casual tone mixed in with other everyday topics that you may enjoy making the money stuff more palatable.

Understanding the larger scope of your financial standing is a great way to not obsess about money on the daily. Keeping things simple and finding an easier way to build wealth will streamline your perspectives significantly. It is easy to look at your checking account and feel like you are broke or that you have nothing saved for your future but understanding all the pieces that make up the overall financial puzzle is a comfort. Do you own a home? Stocks? Retirement savings? These are all a part of your overall net worth and certainly are significant.

Repair companies help consumers raise unfair credit scores. Mistakes on official reports have far-reaching implications. Not only lenders but also insurers, landlords, and even employers check their applicants’ credit histories. If your FICO score is incorrect, enlisting the help of Lexington Law or Sky Blue Credit could help you boost it faster. But which company is better?

Background of the Companies

Sky Blue Credit Repair has been in business since 1989, which makes it one of the oldest providers. This brand is associated with diligence and proficiency. The company provides services in all US states. The Sky Blue Credit review on creditfixed.com even calls it outstanding.

Lexington Law, which was founded in 2004 by John C. Heath, who is still its Directing Attorney, is another well-established fixer. It has the same BBB rating (C). Lexington Law helps consumers in 48 states.

What Services Are Provided

Sky Blue Credit has a universal package suitable for all customers, including those who need credit repair to buy a house. It collects reports from three major bureaus and reviews them line by line. The team develops a dispute strategy and removes errors through formal communication with lenders, bureaus, and collectors (if necessary). You can enroll online, which is a rare benefit. The number of disputes is limited to 15 per billing cycle (35 days).

Lexington Law does not have online registration but offers plenty of extra benefits. While entry-level clients receive only core services, other packages include score monitoring with automatic alerts, protection against identity theft, and personal finance tools. The company’s unique app is highly rated in both Google Play and App Store.

Unlike the rival, this company offers a free introductory consultation. Premium customers may also challenge false hard inquiries. These entries are created when your report is accessed by lenders (i.e., when you apply for a new loan).

How Much It Costs

Like most companies in the market, Lexington Law offers three tiers of services. The entry-level bundle costs $89.95 monthly, and the most expensive plan will set you back $129.95. Here is how they compare.

The cheapest package includes disputes and creditor interventions. The mid-level plan allows you to remove hard inquiries and monitor your score. Finally, premium clients are protected against identity theft and get access to the official FICO tracker. Advanced digital tools are accessible through the app.

While Lexington Law has some of the highest fees in the industry, Sky Blue Credit is impressively affordable. Customers pay a modest first work fee of $79 and are later charged $79 monthly. There is only one service package. You will not find any monitoring tools or identity protection, but the value for money is undeniable.

Both companies charge clients as long as they use their services. A contract may be terminated at any moment. However, if you are unhappy with the quality of service, only one of these firms will pay your money back.

Are Refunds Possible?

Sky Blue’s policy is unmatched. Every customer has a 90-day money-back guarantee. If you are dissatisfied with the results for any reason, you may request a refund. This reflects the company’s confidence in its ability to help you.

What can Lexington Law offer in this regard? While this company is one of the oldest, it has no refund policy at all. Customers cannot get their money back even if their scores remain unchanged. Obviously, this is a major disadvantage.

Reputation: Complete Opposites

Sky Blue Credit has a high customer review average on the BBB site (4.5 out of 5), with just 12 complaints since 2018. In comparison, Lexington Law has a meager 2.11/5. Over the past 3 years, this firm has received 664 negative reviews on the monitoring website. Clearly, its reputation has been seriously damaged.

Lexington Law has also been accused of deceptive practices. The BBB site alerts visitors of the pending government action. Clearly, the feedback and the lawsuits should make you wonder whether the company deserves trust, despite its impressive range of services.

The Bottom Line

Both companies are well-established repair providers, but the sheer volume of complaints about Lexington Law raises suspicion. The recent government action is another red flag. The company offers a wider range of services and an impressive app, but all these benefits are useless if it does not deliver on its promises.

In comparison, Sky Blue Credit has a straightforward approach to score improvement with a single package. While you cannot get any extras, the core services are adequate for all common cases. The prices are highly competitive, and the money-back policy makes the offer irresistible.

He who does not rouse himself when it is time to rise, who, though young and strong, is full of sloth, whose will and thought are weak, that lazy and idle man will never find the way to knowledge.
—The Dhammapada (Buddhist Anthology of Verses)

Don’t look with your eyes, look with your feet. Don’t think with your head, think with your hands.
—Taiichi Ohno (Japanese Manufacturing Engineer)

Above all, the prophets remind us of the moral state of a people: Few are guilty, but all are responsible.
—Abraham Joshua Heschel (American Jewish Rabbi)

The most fundamental problem of politics, which is not the control of wickedness but the limitation of righteousness.
—Henry Kissinger (American Diplomat)

It is possible to live happily in the here and now. So many conditions of happiness are available—more than enough for you to be happy right now. You don’t have to run into the future in order to get more.
—Thich Nhat Hanh (Vietnamese Buddhist Religious Leader)

Under all speech that is good for anything there lies a silence that is better, silence is deep as eternity; speech is shallow as time.
—Thomas Carlyle (Scottish Writer)

Always so act that the immediate motive of thy will may become a universal rule for all intelligent beings.
—Immanuel Kant (Prussian German Philosopher)

The poverty of our century is unlike that of any other. It is not, as poverty was before, the result of natural scarcity, but of a set of priorities imposed upon the rest of the world by the rich. Consequently, the modern poor are not pitied … but written off as trash. The twentieth-century consumer economy has produced the first culture for which a beggar is a reminder of nothing.
—John Berger (English Art Critic, Essayist, Novelist)

A man thinks that by mouthing hard words he understands hard things.
—Herman Melville (American Novelist)

Conceal a flaw, and the world will imagine the worst.
—Martial (Ancient Roman Latin Poet)

With just enough of learning to misquote.
—Lord Byron (George Gordon Byron) (English Romantic Poet)

Our only true course is to let the motive for action be in the action itself, never in its reward; not to be incited by the hope of the result, nor yet indulge a propensity for inertness.
—Helena Blavatsky (Ukrainian-born American Theosophist)

There are two different states of human existence: first, to live without thinking of death; second, to live with the thought that you approach death with every hour of your life.
—Leo Tolstoy (Russian Novelist)

But life is a battle: may we all be enabled to fight it well.
—Charlotte Bronte (English Novelist, Poet)

People who study psychology and the pitfalls of the human mind are no less prone to making errors of judgement and cognition than people who don’t know anything about it.
—Jason Zweig (American Personal Finance Columnist)

Do not train a child to learn by force or harshness; but direct them to it by what amuses their minds, so that you may be better able to discover with accuracy the peculiar bent of the genius of each.
—Plato (Ancient Greek Philosopher)

A conservative believes nothing should be done for the first time.
—Lynwood L. Giacomini (American Publisher, Bibliophile)

We have too many people who live without working, and we have altogether too many who work without living.
—Charles Reynolds Brown (American Congregational Clergyman, Educator)

To withdraw is not to run away, and to stay is no wise action when there is more reason to fear than to hope. ‘Tis the part of a wise man to keep himself today for tomorrow, and not venture all his eggs in one basket.
—Miguel de Cervantes (Spanish Novelist)

Be open to learning new lessons even if they contradict the lessons you learned yesterday.
—Ellen DeGeneres (American Comedian, Television Host)

You have two choices. You can keep running and hiding and blaming the world for your problems, or you can stand up for yourself and decide to be somebody important.
—Sidney Sheldon (American Novelist, Screenwriter)

The greater your capacity to love, the greater your capacity to feel the pain.
—Jennifer Aniston (American Actress)

The advice that sounds the best in the short run is always the most dangerous in the long run.
—Jason Zweig (American Personal Finance Columnist)

You must pray that the way be long, full of adventures and experiences.
—Constantine P. Cavafy (Egyptian Greek Poet, Journalist, Civil Servant)

Character is built into the spiritual fabric of personality hour by hour, day by day, year by year in much the same deliberate way that physical health is built into the body.
—E. Lamar Kincaid (American Protestant Minister)

It’s essentially impossible to become successful or well off doing a job that is described and measured by someone else. The only chance our country (your country, depends where you live), your economy and most of all, your family has to get ahead is this: make up new rules. People who make up new rules continue to be in very short supply.
—Seth Godin (American Entrepreneur)

Laughter is not at all a bad beginning for a friendship, and it is far the best ending for one.
—Oscar Wilde (Irish Poet)

If a man loves the labor of his trade, apart from any question of success or fame, the gods have called him.
—Robert Louis Stevenson (Scottish Novelist)

For to be free is not merely to cast off one’s chains, but to live in a way that respects and enhances the freedom of others.
—Nelson Mandela (South African Political leader)

No matter who you are, no matter what you did, no matter where you’ve come from, you can always change, become a better version of yourself.
—Madonna (American Pop Singer, Actress)

Seek those who find your road agreeable, your personality and mind stimulating, your philosophy acceptable, and your experiences helpful. Let those who do not, seek their own kind.
—Henri Fabre (French Aviator)