10 things to do at the start of every month: How to prepare for a smooth month ahead
The start of the month is an excellent time to reflect on the month that passed and to get ready to embrace the new month ahead of you.
I know that many of us have a ton going on in our lives- from school, to work, to family time, to social life, to a million things in between. Anything that can help with staying organized in the midst of all the busyness is a definite yes in my book.
So, without further ado, read on for my tips on what you can do at the beginning of every month to make it a smooth transition into the new month.
10 Things To Do At The Start Of Every Month
Set specific goals
Goal setting at the beginning of the month is great for short-term goals, which you can use to achieve your long-term goals.
For example, you can set yourself a goal of exercising 3 times a week that month. By doing that, you will get closer to a long-term goal, for example, to become more fit.
Setting monthly goals will keep you motivated to achieve those goals, and you will be able to look at those monthly goals the following month and see if you need to re-visit them or move on to bigger goals.
Plan your month
Planning your month out at the beginning of the month obviously makes more sense than if you were to do it mid-month.
Jot down all your deadlines, events, projects and tasks, and anything else that you’ll have going on that month that you know of.
This will help you stay organized and you will end up saving a lot of time and headache down the road.
I’ve used many planners in the past but lately, I have been using a Happy Planner and really like it. It’s simple and straightforward, and because I’m a huge nerd, I like physical planners rather than digital. But to each his own!
If you’re new to planning, try out my free weekly planner to get you started!
Pay your bills
Seriously, get those things out of the way at the beginning of the month for a couple of reasons.
First, you will be left with so much less stress. Bills are a giant pain in the butt for many of us and because it’s a task we might not enjoy doing, getting it out of the way at the beginning of the month makes more sense.
Second, a lot of us usually have more money at the beginning of the month than at the end, especially if you get paid a monthly salary like I do.
I can’t imagine getting to the end of the month and either not paying my bill and then having to pay late fees, or having to dip into my savings for a measly bill. No thanks!
Make a budget
Speaking of money, create your budget at the beginning of the month.
This way you will know exactly how much you have to spend that month and you can plan accordingly.
Purchase birthday presents
If you have any birthdays coming up that month, go ahead and start shopping for birthday cards and presents.
I know I’m usually scrambling to get gifts a few days before someone’s birthday, so this is a good way of avoiding that.
If you only need to have birthday cards on hand, buying them in bulk here is also a good option.
Schedule appointments
Need to get your hair re-dyed this month? Schedule it ahead of time. The same goes for nails, massages, facials, or whatever else you want to get done that month.
Make sure to also schedule your doctors and dentist appointments for the month, too. The sooner you know when everything will be taking place, the better for your organization.
Get all your appointments scheduled at the beginning of the month, and jot them down in your planner for easy reference.
Clean your car
I don’t know about you, but my car can get pretty dusty very quickly.
A good trick to make sure you keep up with the cleanings is to clean it at the beginning of the month. This way, you know exactly when the last time it got cleaned was, and you don’t have to go too long between car washes.
It also helps with starting the month on a clean note! There’s nothing better than a clean space.
Have an “office day”
Set one day at the beginning of the month to do all the boring office-esque stuff that piles up all month long.
Examples of this include:
- deleting unnecessary pictures off your phone
- deleting any unneeded emails
- organizing your desk drawer
- filing your documents
You get the picture! Get those over with at the beginning of the month so that you can relax and forget about them until next month rolls around.
Clean your fridge
Just as I touched on cleaning your car at the beginning of the month, doing the same with your fridge is equally as important.
At the beginning of the month, set some time to clean out your fridge. Make sure to check all the expiry dates and throw away anything you won’t be eating anymore.
This will start your month on an organized note, and you will also make more space for your fresh food, which I will get to next.
Meal plan and shop for staples
Meal planning at the beginning of the month is a great way to keep you organized when it comes to your food shopping.
Not only does it make your shopping easier, but it also helps you with saving money! Once you know what you will be cooking, only buy those items.
You will be creating less food waste, and less money spent than if you were to go shopping blindly!
Would you add anything to this list? What’s something you like to do at the beginning of each new month? Leave it in the comments!
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