8 Things to Do at The Beginning of Every Month

8 Things to Do at The Beginning of Every Month

 The beginning of every month is the perfect time to plan out exactly how you want this new month to go. It is also the perfect time to evaluate the quality of your previous month to see if you are where you want to be.

I love to start a new month with a plan and goal set to keep me on track and t0 essentially keep my stress levels down throughout the month.

If you happen to be coming off of a tough month, I just want to you let you know that everything is going to more than okay, girl! In this post, I am sharing 8 things to do at the beginning of every month to encourage you to reset, refresh, and refocus on what is truly  important to you.

“The best time for new beginnings is now”

8 Things to Do at The Beginning of Every Month

1. Create a monthly budget 

Creating a monthly budget is the best way to set yourself up for success financially throughout the month. Your budget will provide sort of a guideline for you to look back at every week to make sure you are on track with your financial goals.

I actually find it ENORMOUSLY helpful to take a look at my budget at the beginning and at the end of each week just to make sure I am right on track. During this time you can also check your transaction history just to make sure everything looks okay.

Planning your finances helps relieve the stress of having to remember exactly which bills are due, when they are due, and how much they are. If I didn’t have everything written down, I am almost 100% that something will end up being forgotten.

If you are feeling extra savvy, you can also set specific saving goals for yourself to help reduce spending. You can also use this money to help replenish what was lost if happened to go over your budget last month. Because let’s face it- going over your budget is a lot easier than coming under budget.

Related Post: 5 Must Know Budgeting Tips to Get Your Money Back on Track

2. Set goals for yourself 

I absolutely LOVE the beginning of the of the month because I am able to set new goals for myself. If you don’t already set monthly goals for yourself, it is something that I encourage each and every single one of you to do!

We all have those big long term goals that we aspire to reach (that seem so so far away), but we can forget to do small things now that will bring us closer to those big long term goals.

DON’T FORGET ABOUT YOUR SMALL GOALS. “Small goals” are goals that are pretty attainable to reach in your eyes, but you will overall feel accomplished that you have reached them.

You can even go as far as setting weekly and daily goals for yourself that align with your overall monthly goal. For example, if your goal this month is to loose 10 pounds, your daily goal can be to stay on track with your daily food requirements. Your weekly goal can be to work out 3-5 times per week.

I want you take a moment and ask yourself what you can do this month to make yourself one step closer to reaching your overall goals. I find that I am more likely to achieve my goals if I write them out and plan a specific course of action to reaching them.

Related Post: How to Effectively Set Goals

3. Reflect on the past month

At the beginning of every month, I look back at the goals that I set last month. For some reason I actually find it fun to look back to see what I was able accomplish. I’ll be honest with you, I never remember every single goal that I set for myself!

This reflection time will allow you to recenter yourself if you had a rough month and set a positive course for the upcoming month.

I use this planner to track my goals. I love it because it allows me to breaks my goals into certain categories that represent every area of my life.

It can be easy to get caught up with only materialistic goals for yourself. Not to say materialistic goals are bad, but it is always good to have a natural balance of other types of goals.

4. Schedule your appointments 

Let’s face it, schedules can be highly unpredictable. However, I don’t want that to stop you from finding time to schedule the things that are important to you!

Like I said about goal setting earlier: you will be more likely to do something if you write it down.

Schedule those hair, nail, and eyebrow appointments girlfriend! I even want you set aside at least 2 days every month to dedicated to self care days.

While you are scheduling your personal appointments, you should also schedule any standing firm appointments that you may have. These may include doctor appointments, counseling, or any meetings.

Related Post: 10 Time Management Strategies to Increase Your Productivity 

5. Clean out your fridge

It’s more than easy for your fridge to become a cluttered mess filled with food items from earlier in the month. Go through and clear out any expired/old items that are taking up excess space.

If you happen to find items that aren’t old yet. Asses if you are going to be using the item within the next week or so. If not, throw it out to make room for your new items coming.

6. Meal plan 

You guys, if you find yourself never having time to cook/not in the mood to cook, meal planning/meal prepping will be your BEST FRIEND!!

Meal planning helps you save money and time at the grocery store, and overall limits the stress that comes with it!

If it scares you to have to think about your meals for an ENTIRE MONTH, try doing it every two weeks to see how you like it.

Related Post: Stay at Home Date Night Dinner Ideas

7. Organize your home

Starting off the beginning of every month with the clutter from last month can really be a downer. Try choosing one or two rooms a week to tackle so you don’t get overwhelmed.

You can even set aside a day where you plan to organize every room and everything in your house. (If you can do this, PLEASE teach me your ways).

Related Post: 40 Things to Declutter in Your Home Today

8. Choose a book to read

I like to start off the beginning of every month with a new book to read and finish. Reading is one of my favorite pass times, and helps me to unwind at the end of the day. There is never too much that you can learn, and reading is the perfect way to grow and become better than you were yesterday.

Related Post: 10 Self Improvement Books to Read This Spring

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