Top 5 Tips To Make Your Finances Much Less of a Disaster

Everyone is as tired of the phrase, “Adulting is hard,” about as much as they are tired of, well, adulting. They say your personal finances are largely indicative of your personal discipline, but “they” can maybe rub the dirt out of their eyes, take a look around and get a better gander at the state of this economy.

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No judgment, but if you just reluctantly snuck a peek at your bank statement and whispered to yourself, “Yikes,” it may be time to adjust your spending and saving habits in whatever way you can. Here are the top five ways you can force your finances to be more disaster-proof.

No. 5: Get a Proper, Grown-Up Bank Account

Checking account: check. Savings account: check. But what about all the other places you can store your money and maybe even earn interest at a better rate? Here is a breakdown of different types of bank accounts and why you should have them:

• Checking account: This is for your daily banking transactions, so make sure you are keeping track of the account balance to avoid overdraft fees. The best way to manage money is through organization, and checking accounts are one of the most beneficial for this purpose. It allows you to deposit money in a safe place where the bank keeps track of all of your transactions.

• High-yield savings account: Saving 20% of your paycheck each month in this account will grow your money faster. The best way to help your savings grow is to avoid impulsive buys and set goals for what to do with that money. Shop around to find the highest APY.

• Certificate of deposit (CD): If you have money in your savings account and know you don’t need to use it anytime in the near future, a good idea is to put that money into a CD account. Like a savings account, CDs are insured and accrue interest while the money sits in the account. However, CDs have higher interest rates, which is nice because you’ll be able to see a nice gain.

• Money market account: Ever wished your checking account could accumulate interest? With a money market account, it can. Money market accounts work almost identically to checking accounts, as you can make deposits and write checks with them.

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No. 4: You Shouldn’t Be in Charge, Direct Deposit Should Be

This may sound harsh, but you may not always make the best decisions when your paycheck hits. And if harsh means accurate, then consider direct deposit so your money can be transferred from one account to another seamlessly and eliminate a bit of human error.

You can even allocate a percentage to be automatically deposited into your checking account to cover your bills and another percentage into your savings to make sure you are putting something away each month.

No. 3: Santa Plans for Holidays Once a Year, You Should Too

If you like bringing a bag of presents to your family every year on the holidays, but aren’t in the same tax bracket as Kris Kringle, you may want to try creating a Christmas club account for the holidays so you don’t suffer a financial shock at the end of the year.

By doing so, you don’t have to worry about not having enough money to spend on the holidays, and it gives you an idea of how much to budget on presents and holiday vacations.

No. 2: Isolate Your Gas Problem

Having a gas-only credit card can not only help you build credit, but it’s also a good way to build a better budget down the road. Plus, gas credit cards are convenient and come with perks.

Gas-only credit cards can provide a discount of about 5 to 10 cents per gallon, which is great considering how much everyone is paying at the pump. It also beats walking. Since this type of credit card is only meant for gas, the balance each month is low enough that you can pay it off the entirely and build credit responsibly.

No. 1: Don’t Go Homeless Paying High Interest

And now, the number one way to force your finances to be less of a disaster is to … pay less when you can, especially on housing costs. With 2026 around the corner, there is a vicious rumor that interest rates on mortgage loans could be dipping, which would be a great time to refinance your home, especially if you purchased in the last few years when rates were sky high.

It’s not often that mortgage rates are low, but at this point, everyone will likely be happy with lower. By refinancing your home, you can help to reduce the amount that you have to pay on the mortgage each month or even put more toward paying off your principal.

For renters, see if 2026 can be the year where you move into a more affordable situation after years of sky-high rents. Or, talk to your landlord about locking in a longer lease at a lower cost, something that is becoming more common these days. According to some money experts, this is the way to go anyway.

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This article originally appeared on GOBankingRates.com: Top 5 Tips To Make Your Finances Much Less of a Disaster