Your spring cleaning should include your finances and digital footprint, experts say

The annual closet cleanout from winter to summer clothes represents a fresh restart to a new season. Now, imagine doing that with finances.

“You probably set some goals for yourself for the new year, and now we are heading well into 2025,” said Sara Rathner of NerdWallet. “Some of those goals that you set a few months ago, they might be a little bit outdated.”

She recommends that consumers use this time to review their spending habits, finding those recurring or unnecessary expenses that are easy to cut.

“We found at NerdWallet that 85% of Americans are worried about the effect that tariffs might have on the economy, on their ability to buy necessities, on the risk it might present for a recession in the future,” Rathner said. “You want to not just revisit your goals, but also revisit your total financial picture and see if there are steps you can take to make yourself more financially resilient in the face of uncertainty.”

Whether it’s skipping the coffee or packing your lunch every day, we wanted to know – what money saving advice are you tired of hearing? Financial analyst Stephen Kates is talking about a problem called “financial fatigue.”

Follow NBC10 Boston:
https://instagram.com/nbc10boston
https://tiktok.com/@nbc10boston
https://facebook.com/NBC10Boston
Tweets by NBC10Boston
https://bsky.app/profile/nbcboston.com

As the weather changes, Rathner tells us homeowners should check if their insurance coverage is up to date.

“Because not only are more people susceptible to home damage and destruction because of natural disasters nowadays, but the costs of material and labors have gone up,” said Rathner. “Make sure that the coverage is enough. You can also shop around and see if there are other insurance providers that will provide you similar coverage for a lower price or better coverage for the same price that you’re currently paying.”

Consumers should also take the tip to declutter their digital footprint.

“You don’t want to be easy pickings, right? You don’t wanna be low-hanging fruit,” said Cliff Steinhauer with the National Cybersecurity Alliance.

He recommends going through any smartphone, tablet, or computer to delete any unused apps, old files, and unnecessary documents.

“Take the time to audit all of your passwords, make sure that multi-factor is turned on,” said Steinhauer. “Minimizing your internet footprint, so closing those old accounts.”

Make sure all devices are up to date. These updates often include security patches that can help to protect against malware and other threats.

“You never know what service or what account can be compromised that could expose certain information about you that could be that missing piece that the criminals don’t have yet,” said Steinhauer.