--- title: 5 Easy Ways to Spring-Clean Your Finances description: Finished scrubbing and decluttering the house? Take these five steps to spring-clean your finances so you're set up for the rest of 2025. authors: - name: Julia Glum role: Managing Editor url: https://money.com/author/julia-glum/ bio: Julia Glum joined Money in 2018 and specializes in covering financial trends that affect everyday Americans' wallets. She also writes Dollar Scholar, a weekly newsletter that teaches young adults how to navigate the messy world of money. education: University of Florida at_money_since: 2018 articles: 453 covers: - Personal Finance - Banking - Business - Career Advice - Credit - Credit Cards - Debt - Economy and Politics - Education - Health and Wellness - Housing - Identity Theft - Insurance - Investing - Lifestyle - Loans - Mortgages - Professional Services - Retirement - Shopping - Taxes - Technology also_seen_in: - Newsweek - International Business Times - CBS News - Good Morning America - WUSA9 - Pix 11 - The New York Times - Mashable - The Washington Post - CNBC - Politico social: - https://x.com/superjulia - https://www.linkedin.com/in/julia-glum editors: - name: Katherine Peach role: Associate Editor url: https://money.com/author/katherine-peach/ bio: Katherine Peach is an associate editor with a focus on news and email at Money. Her writing and editing work has been featured in Investing Daily, Clever, Investor Junkie, The Palm Beach Letter, Truth & Plenty, Independence Monthly, NICHE, AmericanStyle, AntiqueWeek, Millennial Money, Money Done Right, TheStreet, Sure Dividend and many others. education: University of Maryland, Baltimore County at_money_since: 2025 articles: 14 covers: - Personal Finance - Banking - Career Advice - Credit - Credit Cards - Debt - Economy and Politics - Education - Federal Reserve Rate Cuts - Health and Wellness - Housing - Identity Theft - Insurance - Investing - Lifestyle - Loans - Mortgages - Professional Services - Retirement - Shopping - Taxes published: '2025-04-16T19:39:20.000Z' modified: '2025-04-16T19:39:20.000Z' section: Personal Finance tags: - News word_count: 841 canonical: https://money.com/money-spring-cleaning-2025/ type: NewsArticle source: structured-blocks --- > **Disclosure:** We research all brands listed and may earn a fee from our partners. Research and financial considerations may influence how brands are displayed. Not all brands are included. [Learn more](https://money.com/page/disclaimer/). ![Illustration of a hand picking a flower, that's shaped like a pie chart](https://img.money.com/2025/04/News-Spring-Clean-Finances.png) Spring cleaning is a centuries-old tradition aimed at trashing the old and ushering in the new. With vibes high (and melatonin levels low), it's an opportunity to wipe away the vestiges of winter and welcome warmer weather with open arms. But while you're Cloroxing the bathroom, washing the linens and decluttering the junk drawer, you can't neglect your money. Here are five easy ways to spring-clean your finances so you're well-positioned for the rest of 2025. ## Regain financial stability with the help of Freedom Debt Relief ### Freedom can start you on the path to resolve your debt, especially if you owe over $20,000. Why wait? Select your state to get started today! [Get Started](https://money.com/pr/l67257dab4e3?ap_referrer=%2Fmoney-spring-cleaning-2025%2F) ## Capitalize on the momentum Chris Powell, head of deposits and customer engagement at [Citizens Bank](https://www.citizensbank.com/homepage.aspx), says this is a perfect time to roll up your sleeves. [New Year's resolutions](https://money.com/top-financial-resolutions-for-2025) are in the rearview. You're likely trading Winter Mode (in which you sit on the couch, online-shop and complain about the weather) for Summer Mode (in which you go out often, splurge on ice cream and take expensive trips). Why not harness that energy? "Sometimes it's just stepping back and looking out the window, seeing spring coming and saying, 'Geez, what do I want to do?'" Powell adds. "'I'm feeling optimistic; I'm feeling positive about where things are going. How can I take those next steps?'" ## Survey the scene The best way to start is by dropping an anchor, says [Haley Sacks](https://money.com/changemakers/haley-sacks/), the zillennial finance expert behind MrsDowJones who's been partnering with [Wells Fargo](https://www.wellsfargo.com/). Either on your own or with a [financial advisor](https://money.com/pr/wa1642632409?data-trk-company=zoe-financial-advisors&data-trk-imp=true&data-trk-pcu-type=direct_link&data-trk-pcu-uuid=wa1642632409&encoded_id=bNejY&ap_referrer=https%253A%252F%252Fmoney.com%252Fmoney-spring-cleaning-2025%252F), you should look through your accounts and take stock of your balances, debts and interest rates. Sacks says budgeting should be more about saying "yes" to what matters rather than "no" to fun opportunities. This is an opportunity to drill down. "Like your closet, \[your budget\] should reflect your style, your values," Sacks says. "Look at your last month of purchases and ask yourself: Did this bring me joy? Does it align with my goals?" While scrutinizing your outflows, Powell says to keep an eye out for areas where you may be experiencing "leakage." Are you still using that Apple TV subscription you bought solely to watch *Severance*? Should you swap Kindle Unlimited for a library card? Do you truly need Nuuly? You should cancel unwanted and overlooked subscriptions so you're not wasting money on them the rest of the year. ## Revisit your goals You can build whatever is on your horizon — a trip to Mexico City, a beefed-up emergency fund, a fancy swimsuit you've been coveting — into your budget. "Summer is coming up, and it's a very spendy time," Sacks says. "I think that a lot of those expenses feel out of the blue because we don't plan for them. But you *can* predict them." She recommends making a list of expenses you know are coming up and working backward to determine how much [you must save](https://money.com/pr/o3a4f32fe650?data-trk-company=sofi-savings-review&data-trk-imp=true&data-trk-pcu-type=direct_link&data-trk-pcu-uuid=o3a4f32fe650&encoded_id=bNejY&ap_referrer=https%253A%252F%252Fmoney.com%252Fmoney-spring-cleaning-2025%252F) to afford them. When you've planned for something, "it makes the purchase sting so much less," Sacks adds. ## Boost your savings After trimming your expenses, you can turn your attention to your savings. An easy way to dip your toe in is with your [tax refund](https://money.com/wheres-my-refund/). Millions of Americans will be getting them in the next few weeks; according to the IRS, the average refund so far is $3,116. Sacks suggests you take 10% to 20% and enjoy it. Then you can put the rest to work. Folks are "finally finding themselves a little bit flush with cash and saying, what do I do with this?" Powell says. "Make some purchases you've been looking forward to, but really understand \[your\] goals." Although [high-yield savings account rates](https://money.com/best-high-yield-savings-accounts/?encoded_id=bNejY&utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_content=Dollar%20Scholar%20279%20-%2004/09/25%20\(Tax%20Prep\)&utm_campaign=dollar-scholar) have been dropping as the Federal Reserve slashes rates, they're still a great place to [park cash and earn interest](https://money.com/pr/o3a4f32fe650?data-trk-company=sofi-savings-review&data-trk-imp=true&data-trk-pcu-type=direct_link&data-trk-pcu-uuid=o3a4f32fe650&encoded_id=bNejY&ap_referrer=https%253A%252F%252Fmoney.com%252Fmoney-spring-cleaning-2025%252F). (Ally, for instance, offers 3.6% on its high-yield savings account, versus the national average rate of 0.41%.) Automation is the secret weapon here: Using a tool to set and forget weekly deposits into a high-yield savings account is a great way to grow your deposit. "Don't use willpower. Rely on technology," Sacks says. The technology is plentiful — Qapital, Chime and Acorns, among others, have automated savings features. ## Compare Savings Accounts rates today ### Up to 2-day-early paycheck ![Sign Up](https://s3.consumersadvocate.org/prd/image/image/19227/medium_5c3a0d96-3da5-45d8-8e99-d58f043e9433.png) Our Partner [Sign Up](https://money.com/go/3e0e8844487b?bidid=4063585078&pmeta=p129-c561-u25621&ptid=665771440&ptoken=adc194a3265fb65a5c03af09ce53a8ce) ### No monthly maintenance fees ![Sign Up](https://s3.consumersadvocate.org/prd/image/image/7510/medium_8a6feaaf-bb2a-4668-a20d-603241767f86.png) Our Partner [Sign Up](https://money.com/go/de708c1ff894?bidid=4063585074&pmeta=p129-c561-u25621&ptid=665771440&ptoken=34d605384b88fdf9e132603098825038) ### Open an account in 5 minutes ![Sign Up](https://s3.consumersadvocate.org/prd/image/image/38558/medium_9a7de13e-ef66-4a9d-9afd-0d742334c0be.webp) Our Partner [Sign Up](https://money.com/go/5a9ce6d89e45?bidid=4063585081&pmeta=p129-c561-u25621&ptid=665771440&ptoken=c4a2881b7b7cc6cda5f2df1e0ea37b6d) ### $500 minimum opening deposit ![Sign Up](https://s3.consumersadvocate.org/prd/image/image/35396/medium_03f248f6-d7f4-4da6-8f13-322fce5d1be2.webp) Our Partner [Sign Up](https://money.com/go/0cf8ea6259d7?bidid=4063585084&pmeta=p129-c561-u25621&ptid=665771440&ptoken=fbda58de4c0834367cdf9fd70f23a4a3) ## Get creative Sacks says to always think about how you can earn more. With your spring closet clean-out, are there items you can resell? When was the last time you [asked for a raise](https://money.com/how-to-ask-for-raise)? Is there a side hustle you can pick up to generate some extra income? "We talk so much about how to cut down our spending, which obviously sucks, no one likes to be on a budget ... but there is a floor to how much you can cut," she adds. Putting in some work now to clean up your money can benefit you in the end. "With financial changes, it's really about sustainability and having things compound over time. When you're spring cleaning, don't do anything so drastic — and definitely lean on the automation," Sacks says. "Set your worst self up for success." ![](https://s3.consumersadvocate.org/prd/image/image/25289/medium_2e7b27ce-b30d-40a3-beef-0139ecba6b47.png) If you owe over $20,000 or more, Freedom Debt Relief can help you get back on your feet! 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