Financial Stress? Making a plan can help

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Are you stressed about your financial situation?  Got bills on your mind all the time?

Just sit down and make a coherent plan about what you are going to do.  This alone may be enough to get you back on track to financial wellness – but if not, try these additional five tips.

Gail Vaz-Oxlade has a free online tool to help you create a coherent budget, or try mint or goodbudget for your mobile.  These are just a few of the available tools to help.

However, sometimes it comes down to implementing the budget and not just putting it down on paper.  Here are some good tips to help you keep focused on the budget.

It’s a good idea to experiment with different ways of budgeting and find out what is going to work for you.  Do you need to implement a “let’s sleep on it” rule for big purchases?  Put away or cut up your credit cards?  Pay off your credit every 48 hours to keep you on track?

Or for an easy fix, try using up everything in the fridge and freezer.  Build a cold frame to keep you in free, fresh leafy greens all winter.  Or just stick to your grocery list.

Finally, consider what it will feel like not to worry about money.

November is the perfect month for a fresh start – fall is moving into winter, and it’s time to head indoors.  What’s your favourite time to start over?