When we don’t feel fully in control of our finances it can affect us more than we realise, leaving us feeling stressed and worried. This can be compounded when there are big events on the horizon such as a holiday, buying a house or – dare we mention it – Christmas.
By making small changes like creating a budget, checking your credit score and keeping an eye out for deals and cashback on your essential spending, you can get in a much better financial position in just a couple of days. We’ve rounded up four ways you can get your finances in order ahead of any big event, or even the Christmas period.
1 - It’s a good idea to look at your credit score, then you’ll know where your starting point really is. Set up a free credit 
account with Experian (and bag yourself £2.25 exclusive cashback in the process) and you’ll be able to see how you stand financially. It’s also a good idea to ensure your address and personal details are all correct with any providers you have accounts with and that you are on the electoral register, as it will boost your credit score.
2 - It is important to look back and reflect on your finances regularly by going through your bank statements and working out where money is going. Calculate how much is being spent on essential and luxury purchases and what is left. Whatever is left and any regular unnecessary luxuries you can cut out could be put towards building up your savings.
3 - It’ll take a couple of hours but build yourself a budget plan that works for you, it’ll be the best couple of hours you’ll spend. This will help you keep focussed on your financial plan and highlight your spending habits. Remember to capture everything, be realistic and honest with yourself.
4 - Chop away at direct debits. A recent survey of ours revealed we’re wasting millions a month on subscriptions that we are not using. This is a great time to go through your bank accounts and make sure you are using and getting value for money from all the services you pay for.
