Jump Start January: My Week 1 personal finance plan

Erk, 2012 already. PRESSURE. It’s the first day of January, and the first week of the Jump Start. Let’s start it gently and easily just in case anyone’s feeling a little, y’know, delicate.

Week 1 is Personal Finance week, with one simple task each day designed to make a small difference to your fortunes over the space of the next seven days.

Here’s my daily to-do list…

• 1: Start a daily spending diary (nice and easy for New Year’s Day)
• 2: Get the last 12 months’ bank statements together to review
• 3: Cancel a standing order if not in use or offering value
• 4: Work out how to earn a few extra £ in 2012
• 5: Make sure credit card is completely paid off
• 6: Create a one-page net worth summary
• 7: Write up latest set of business records for tax and NI

So that’s monitoring, analysis, cutting waste, creating additional income, debt-free living, and self-employment/tax. Quite a number of different topics to touch upon in the next few days. I’ll keep you posted about progress.

Your plan for the week might be different if you’re, say, paying off debts or thinking about downsizing, funding a course of study, or taking care of another priority.

Are you having a go at Jump Start January? How would you do Week One differently?