Money Mondays: Are You Paying Your Money Enough Attention?
Call it what you will — The Law of Circulation, Feng Shui, The Principle-of-Not-Getting-Your-Lights-Turned-Off-Because-You-Forgot-to-Pay-the-Bill — money ebbs and flows and takes on a life of its own.
Managing money is like raising children who act up, demanding negative attention if they aren’t getting enough positive attention.
Whether you think you’re rich or poor — well, that’s part of the problem, isn’t it? What we think and feel and believe about money has a huge effect on how we deal with it. I’ve had “poor” clients who live with a scarcity mentality, being loath to spend any money at all for fear that they might never get any more than they already have. And I’ve had “rich” ones who, despite their ability to pay, simply do not always pay their bills on time, incurring financial consequences.
But we can all improve our situations a bit at a time by paying more attention to our finances.
Managing money is like raising children who act up, demanding negative attention if they aren't getting enough positive attention. Click To TweetHere are 5 organizing tips to help you give your money the attention it craves:
- Designate a day of the week to deal with money, so you don’t have to worry about it every single day. I like Money Mondays, and so do many of my clients, because it has a ring to it, don’t you think? What do we actually DO on Money Mondays? We pay bills, reconcile statements, call for answers to billing and other financial questions, review insurance policies — whatever needs doing that doing a little of it each week will help keep us on track (like bookkeeping and filing). We create a “menu” of Money Monday tasks so we don’t forget about the things that only need to be done periodically — monthly, quarterly, annually — like paying taxes.
- Arrange to have some uninterrupted time. The fewer interruptions, the less time it will take to accomplish your Money Monday goals. Schedule an hour at first. It might take you a lot less time, or a lot more, depending on your situation. Adjust accordingly.
- Organize your space. You need a clear workspace (desk, table, or countertop), and convenient supplies (computer, checkbook, files, envelopes, stamps). The easier you make it to focus on the task at hand, the more pleasant the task becomes.
- Check your mail. Money Mondays will be a breeze if you keep on top of your incoming mail. Try using an action file. Create a system for paper flow. And use a simple filing system that works for you. Set up automatic payments whenever you can, but don’t forget to check your online accounts for accuracy, and your email for notices.
- Upgrade your tools. Get a pretty file box, or a special pen, or nifty check deposit app for your smart phone (if your financial institution has one available); whatever it takes to make Money Mondays more enjoyable for you!
Clear cash flow clutter as you encounter it
Don’t try to do it all in one day, just do a little more on each Money Monday. (Unless, of course, you are facing a looming deadline with a penalty.)
From the Cash Flow Clutter chapter of Go With the Flow! (The Clutter Flow Chart Workbook):
Cash Flow clutter comes in the form of outdated financial records (like pay stubs and utility bills from the 20th century), and lingering financial tasks (such as unfiled tax returns, incomplete insurance claims, and postponed financial decisions).
Money likes attention, and if you don’t pay it regular positive attention it will demand negative attention in the form of late fees, worry, stress, missed opportunities and legal problems.
Beware of financial icebergs!
Of course, this is just the tip of the financial iceberg. As you focus on your money you may uncover issues you didn’t even realize you had. (I’ve been double billed for how long?! Dang, I wanted to cancel that subscription before it renewed itself!)
Ask for help, if you need it, from an organizing, financial, or legal professional. It will pay off in the long run, I promise!
Are you paying your money enough attention?
How do you make dealing with money easier for yourself?
Please share with us in the comments below!
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- Hazel Thornton is an author, genealogist, and retired home and office organizer.
- Hung Jury: The Diary of a Menendez Juror
- What’s a Photo Without the Story? How to Create Your Family Legacy
- Go With the Flow! The Clutter Flow Chart Workbook
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- Copyright 2013-2024 by Hazel Thornton, Organized for Life and Beyond
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What a great idea! I’ve been trying and failing to do this monthly. I like the sound of Money Monday! If only it was later in the week, but maybe it’s better to get it over with early on!
Truth? Mine sometimes doesn’t get done until Tuesday morning. But it wouldn’t get done then, either, if I didn’t see it every week on my Monday calendar! I want everything to have a “ring” to it: Money Monday, Flow Chart Friday, Website Wednesday, etc. But it’s not possible to create cute names and times for everything. You could have Financial Friday, or Bill-Paying Thursday…but yes, it’s good to get over with early in the week. And, the more organized your efforts are, the easier and…dare I say it?…the more fun it becomes to give your money positive attention.
I love your analogy that managing money is like raising children. Attention is definitely needed for both! Now what do you suggest for trying to get through your Monday Money tasks with an impatient 3-year-old?! 😉
I’ve recently rediscovered how critical the “fun” factor is for me. What would make Money Monday (or maybe Thursday?) more fun for me.
Real head-scratcher there . . .
I do all money-related tasks on Friday.
Great! Nice to know you don’t have to worry about it every day, eh?
Definitely!
So often, we avoid tasks we don’t enjoy. And when it comes to money management, that’s the case for many people. Giving the task a name, as you did, adds two things- a fun factor and a time commitment.
I’m one of those odd people who enjoy handling paperwork, bills, and taxes. I know. Strange. I don’t have a Money Monday, per se, but I do enter regular times on my calendar to attend to the financials. The pacing varies depending on what’s coming up. In general, it’s about once a week. That’s enough time to keep things on track.
Hi Linda, I agree that weekly is USUALLY enough to stay on track. I don’t ALWAYS get money stuff done on Mondays, but each Monday my calendar reminds me of the money things I need to do!
I’m lucky that my husband handles the lion share of this task. We enter everything into Quicken (yep, pretty much everything), and this really helps us know what is going on with all accounts, credit cards, investments, etc. It does feel a bit arduous in the moment, but it makes life so much easier at the end of the year. I enter the receipts whenever I have them, which I guess can be any given day.
I do think the online billing and autopay options have simplified the drudgery of this task. We resisted for a long time, and then theft of checks from mailboxes became a thing in my town (check washing), and suddenly the paper checks were less secure than online!
We also have financial planning meetings periodically to see how things are going and make investment decisions. Could we do more? Yes, for sure. There’s always room for improvement.
Stellar advice, every bit of this. (Though, because Mondays can be holidays, and the rest are often manic Mondays, I suggest clients try Treasury Tuesdays! Same concept, though.)
I can’t say I like paying bills, per se, but aside from having to spend money on “boring” things (electricity, insurance), I do like the zen of the process: opening the mail, sorting it in chronological order, studying each piece of paper for errors and patterns, and then paying them online. I’m sure being a singleton makes this whole process easier, but I’ve always loved handing finances. (I’ll definitely take this over cleaning, any day!)