As a working mother of 2 beautiful energetic boys, I am always looking for ways to simplify my life to free up more time to spend with my family. With summer ending and school starting next week, I’ve been scrutinizing our family finances to make it even simpler.  There are many ways you can do this and a ton of benefits; like adding time to your day, feeling confident about your finances, and so on. I thought I would share some of the ways that are easy to implement into your life.

• Go paperless, eBills. Do you have that paper pile of mail somewhere in your house that is always an eye sore? I do! It is by my telephone (yes, I still have a landline at home in case of an emergency). Nothing makes me feel better than having that area cleaned and tidy. One way to accomplish this is to enroll in eBills. The majority of the bills you receive each month have the option of sending you an electronic bill vs. a paper bill in the mail. It’s safe and secure, whether you decide to have it sent to your email inbox or elect for eBills through your online banking provider. Both options are password protected and you can also receive alerts and notifications.
• Pay bills online. Most financial institutions offer online bill payer for free (Catholic Federal does). Stamps, envelopes and checks are an expense you can eliminated with a click of a mouse or by using your smartphone or tablet. You will save time too! After you have set up a bill, all you need to do is log in and enter the amount and day to pay it. But best of all, a history of all of your paid bills is kept. This makes keeping a budget and tracking what you spent and where easy to review.
• Automatic savings. Make your savings automatic. Every time your paycheck is deposited, have a scheduled transaction transfer a set amount from checking to savings. 10% of what you make every month is what is recommended to save.
• Keep two credit cards. Keep it simple! You will rid yourself of receiving numerous bills each month. Keep the cards with the lowest interest rates and no annual fee.
• Choose one financial institution. You can probably get everything you need in one place. You’ll not only get better service, but you will cut down on monthly statements and get a better picture of your overall finances.