I love the beginning of a new year. It is really the only time we get to start over in a lot of areas of our lives. Yes, we can start over on diets and things such as that anytime, but a new year brings with it a sense of renewal that helps us to succeed. There are, however, certain things we should do before the end of the year. These end of year tasks all help prepare us for the months to come.
In an ideal world, we would all get these things to do before the end of the year done before colder weather hits.
We don’t live in an ideal world.
Things You Need to Do Before the End of the Year
In other words, if you’re running behind or you had totally forgotten to do one of these things, it’s okay. Do them as soon as possible though.
Check the furnace
The last thing any of us want is for the weather to turn cold and the furnace to go out.
Since January and February are typically the coldest months of the year, making sure that your furnace is going to continue working correctly is incredibly important before the calendar flips.
Take some time in November or December to be sure that your furnace is in great condition and that any repairs, if needed, are done before it truly turns cold.
You’ll also want to be sure you change your furnace filters at the same time. A dirty filter affects how well your furnace is able to warm hour home.
Winterize your home
If you haven’t already, now is the time to winterize your home and to plug any energy leaks your home may have.
How much you do will depend on what your home needs, but doing things such as covering the windows with plastic sheeting or laying down throw rugs to absorb floor heat are essential for keeping your family warm and your heating bills low.
Again, this is something you will want to do before the end of the year to prepare for January and February. December is important too if you live in a far northern state that sees early winter.
Gather your tax documents
Tax season gets into swing in January which means that before the end of the year, you should begin gathering the documents that you will need to file.
This is especially important if you are self-employed. For self-employed folks, I can’t recommend signing up for a Freshbooks account high enough. It is what I personally use for this blog and my company as a whole.
Gather everything and store it in a tax document file to keep it safe until you head to the accountant. You’ll be glad you did when you’re not scrambling to find the items you need.
Get a physical
An overwhelming amount of people make resolutions each year to get fit or get healthier. If you’re one of them, it starts by getting a complete physical.
Doing it at the end of the year allows you time to consider any health issues that may arise in your exam and to prepare for any lifestyle changes you will need to make.
Get an Eye Exam
Too many people skip their annual eye exam which can not only be annoying for someone who can’t see correctly, but dangerous as well if you’re trying to drive and can’t see.
Schedule your eye appointment in November or December to start the year off with a fresh bill of eye health.
If you’re having trouble paying for things such as glasses and contacts, I explain how I get our eyeglasses totally free in THIS post.
Clean out your medicine cabinet and first aid kit
Expired medications can be dangerous, so you should be going through your medicine cabinet and tossing any expired medicines or first aid items at least twice a year.
June and December are two great times to do this.
First aid items don’t expire as quickly, but they do expire. It is better to be safe than sorry with them.
Once you have it cleaned out, consider picking up a fully stocked first aid kit such as THIS one to refill what you need.
Clean out the pantry
Pantry items have long shelf lives, but eventually, they do expire.
Before the end of the year, you should take stock of anything that is about to expire and toss anything that has expired.
This is especially important if you have a stockpile of pantry goods since rotation is the key to keeping your stock fresh.
Reset Your Finances
A new year is a great time to learn to save more money and to cut back on your expenses. Possibly the most important thing you need to do before the end of the year is to take the time to analyze your spending for the year and how well you saved.
Did you set savings goals last year? If so, did you meet them? If not, now is the perfect time to reset and restart them. The same goes for your expenses.
Did you enjoy this post? You may also like these:
- How to Save Money on Your Electric Bill with Extreme Frugality
- How to Use Discount Gift Cards to Save Your Budget
- 30 Things to Make at Home to Save Money or Make Money
- 30 Things to Sell to Make Money
If your expenses are higher than you feel they should be, now is a great time to see where you can cut them at. By starting the new year with a lower budget and refreshed savings goals, you give yourself the leg up that you will need for the new year.
This is also a great time to re-think your credit score. If you haven’t already, take the time to sign up for a Credit Sesame account. They will give you your credit score for free.
If you need to rebuild your credit, I highly recommend signing up for a Self account. It has helped increase my score almost 100 points in less than a year. You can read my (early) Self Review (used to be called Self Lender) HERE.
If you don’t have enough money for the expenses you must have, it’s time to make extra cash. I can’t recommend signing up for InstaGC and opening a Swagbucks account any higher. I have earned from them every month for almost a decade.
