Financial advisor shares her tips to get your finances sorted in 2017 (2024)

For many people, alongside the regular resolutions of losing weight and getting fit, saving money is a common New Year goal.

But what if, instead of sprinkling money aimlessly and randomly into a savings account when you've got a bit spare, you actually had a plan?

FEMAIL spoke to the leading financial advisor, Canna Campbell, from Sydney, for her New Year money-saving tips.

And from paying with cash at all points to doing your grocery shopping online and even treating yourself (within reason), some might surprise you.

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According to Ms Campbell, the most important thing you can do on January 1 is make a budget.

'Go through your expenses and cross reference exactly where your money is going,' she told Daily Mail.

'In our heads, we downplay what we actually spend. You might think you spend $100 a week on groceries, when in reality you spend closer to $150. Once you know where your cash is going, you can glean a real insight.'

Once you've understood your finances, it's time to make a plan.

'Start questioning what you value and make cut backs.

'I figured out I was paying $180 a month for Foxtel a couple of months ago and decided I wasn't really using it enough to justify it.

'Cut or reduce your expenses and then set it up so that the money you're saving as a result of your cut backs goes into a savings account by direct debit.

'If the temptation isn't there to spend it, you won't even think about it.

Canna Campbell is also a huge fan of paying for as much as you physically can with real-life money.

'I call it the envelope system,' she said.

'Say you know you've got a trip to the hairdresser at the end of the month and it's going to cost you $150, then start putting notes into an envelope throughout the month and pay for the trip with that cash.

'When we physically see an exchange of money, we realise it a lot more and see our bank balances drop.

'Contactless or payWave encourages us to tap and go without thinking about it.'

Ms Campbell said it's also important to stay up to date with your Internet Banking, checking it at least once every two days - both so you can be aware of potential fraud and feel more in control.

'Make your desire to save a priority each month,' she said.

'Rather than something you just do with whatever cash you have left, put a certain amount of money directly into a savings account as soon as you get paid.

'Then, write down your money-saving goals and set a deadline for when you have to achieve them.'

Simple things such as shopping online and taking lunch to work can also save you huge sums in the long run.

'When you do your grocery shop in the supermarket, it's easy to throw all sorts of things in - and have no idea how much it's going to cost until you reach the checkout,' Ms Campbell said.

'When you do the grocery shop on the Internet, you can see the total adding up as you do your shop. That way, you can add or take away if it gets to be too much or too little.'

Ms Campbell also said that by taking lunch to work you not only save money, but also stop yourself from breaking vital notes during the day.

'It's hard to find lunch in Sydney for less than $10, which means we're constantly breaking notes,' she said.

'If you bring lunch, you're more likely to count through your change to fork out for a coffee.'

The financial advisor believes one of the best tricks to ensure you're saving wherever possible is to ring up all of your utility providers and check you're on the best deal for you.

'Sometimes, if you threaten to leave, they'll also pull out all the stops,' she said.

Things like researching your train or bus route and getting off one or two stops early can also save you precious dollars.

'One of the big ones is learning to say no,' she said.

'Adopt simple pleasures - go to the beach, have friends round for dinner instead of going out for pricey co*cktails or read a book.

'Being responsible with money is an act of self love. Do it right and you'll feel good.'

Last but not least, while Ms Campbell said it's incredibly important to have a rainy day fund - or a sleep well at night number - it's also a good idea to treat yourself.

'I call this sanity money,' she said.

'If you feel good by having a pedicure and it re-focuses your energy levels, then do it - it's an investment.

'It's very personal, but I'm all about balance in life and if you're still tracking along in your money-saving journey, then treats are allowed and important.'

To find out more about Canna Campbell, you can visit her website here. You can also read more from her on SugarMamma TV.