April is Financial Literacy Month! To celebrate, we are going to be sharing 30 tips to improve your overall financial wellness during the month.

Tip #1 – Review Your Finances

The first step towards improving your financial wellness is understanding where you are starting from. Knock out a quick, simple task right now – a monthly financial review. Over the past six months:

• On average, how much have you been bringing in every month?
• On average, how much have you been spending every month?

If you’ve been spending less than you’ve been bringing in, great work! You’ve been saving money and you’re heading in the right direction.

If you have been spending more than you have been taking home, let’s take a look at some of those expenses. Think through your daily routine – is there something that you can cut back on? Have you been going out more recently? It’s important to recognize that little expenses can add up in big ways over the course of a month ($5 per day = $35 per week = $1,825 per year).

Whether you are looking to save a little more or just want to start saving, the first step towards financial wellness is ensuring that you are spending less than you are making.