HOW TO ORGANIZE YOUR MONEY

***FIVE STEPS TO ORGANIZE YOUR FINANCES***

The beginning of the year is a great time to start fresh. And if you're like most people, you've probably got shoe boxes full of old receipts, and bills plastered to your refrigerator. So here are five easy steps to getting your financial life organized in 2009 . . .

#1.) GET A HEAD START ON YOUR TAXES. Start a file for all of your incoming tax documents, and gather all your receipts into one spot. Spending a few hours on it now will make things a whole lot simpler when April 15th rolls around.

#2.) TRACK YOUR MONEY. Quicken is the most-popular software out there, but there are a lot of options when it comes to tracking your finances.

--Websites like Shoeboxed.com help organize receipts and business cards, and sites like Mint.com and Wesabe.com make it even easier to track your spending.

#3.) GET RID OF STUFF YOU DON'T NEED. Most of us hold onto paperwork because we're afraid that once we toss it out, we'll need it. But here are some helpful guidelines. Keep your tax returns for seven years . . . ten if you're being EXTRA careful.

Throw out your old bank statements unless they include deductible expenses or charitable donations . . . and once you've paid your bills, TOSS THEM. Don't worry. You'll get more next month.

#4.) COLLECT THE MONEY THAT'S OWED TO YOU. A lot of us focus on our bills and forget what people owe US. If you're enrolled in a flexible spending account at work, make sure you collect all the tax-free money you've been squirreling away.

Also, many people have unclaimed paychecks and old utility deposits floating around out there, and they don't even realize it. Check out the website Unclaimed.org to see if you're one of them.

#5.) CREATE A SYSTEM. Once you've got your paperwork organized, set up a system that works for you. Open your bills as soon as you get them, and decide on ONE PLACE to put them . . . NOT FIVE.

If you get organized now and STAY organized, you'll be happy you did later in the year. (Yahoo.com)