Five Reasons to Think About Your Finances in August

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I admit it. This post is probably more for my entertainment than yours, but I stand by my points nonetheless. So, here they are: 5 reasons to think about your finances in August:

  1. It's been six months since your heating bill was enough to make your fingers go numb (or was that just the draft from the window?). So at this point, you are thinking your household budget isn't nearly as bad as you thought, and you might even get that sense of smug responsibility looking over the household finances without the wincing (and numb fingers);
  2. Your accountant can actually talk to you at this time of year. I know—it's great fun for everyone involved when we all gang up on the accountants at once in March and April (and in October for the businesses, by the way). Accountants love that. But you'd be surprised how much more relaxed they are taking your questions in August;
  3. You can actually do something about your finances in August. Don't get me wrong, you can worry about your finances in December and January after the Christmas shopping. And you can wish that you'd started that IRA account, put money away, paid for last year's tax-deductible whatever in April, but wouldn't it be great if you did any of things before the regret set in?
  4. You can amaze your neighbors and friends. Everyone is either on a fabulous vacation in Buenos Ares or trying to recover from the annual family trip to the beach by this point in the summer. If you have kids, the anticipation of sending them off to school is starting to make you antsy and unfocused (just think of the free childcare!!!). No one but no one does anything particularly practical in August, really. Revise your household budget, put a little extra in the investment account, meet with your advisor or accountant and then go sit by the pool mouthing off about how you took care of all that. And keep in mind that this sort of shameless boasting goes down especially well when you are sipping an umbrella drink;
  5. You can have ice cream after. Yes, technically, you can have ice cream before or even while you are working on your finances (though, watch the dripping), but it tastes really, really good when you're done.

Happy vacationing, everyone.