Published Tuesday, April 18, 2017 at: 7:00 AM EDT
Do you remember those New Year's resolutions you made to save more money and spend less? For many of us, those good intentions got shifted to the back burner when reality set in and bills started piling up. But it's not too late to reexamine your financial affairs and turn things around for the rest of the year. Here are seven smart money moves that could help you in 2017:
1. Build a better budget. One fundamental of money management is to create a monthly budget that makes sense for you, and then stick to it. You may have gone through the process before, but if it's not working you have to go back to the drawing board.
Start with the essentials—mortgage or rent, utilities, your car or other commuting expenses, and anything else that you can't do without—and take it from there. Think about cutting back on or eliminating expensive dinners, exotic getaways, and other luxuries you can live without. In particular, zero in on small, routine expenses—that daily cappuccino, for example—that may add up to a substantial cost.
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