Next Stop Thanksgiving: Getting Your Home, Car, Family and Personal Finances Organized before the Holidays

Unofficially, the count-down has already started. Tick, tick, tick. You can hear the seasonal clock clicking off the minutes. Autumn leaves equals fall raking equals cooler temperatures equals…Thanksgiving? Eeek! The holidays are just around the corner.

You know how busy you and your family are from Halloween through New Year’s Day. Save time and aggravation with our easy-to-use fourth-quarter checklist to get your home, your car, your family and your life organized before the holiday rush really kicks in. (For your convenience, we also offer a handy PDF of this checklist that you can download and print.)

Q4 Personal Finances

Check your credit report from each of the three agencies, Equifax Inc., Experian, and TransUnion LLC. By the end of 2004, everyone in the country should be able to get free credit reports once a year under the Fair and Accurate Credit Transactions Act of 2003. Visit each agency’s Web site for more information and for your free credit report.
Check the balances on your credit cards. Make sure your payments have been applied. Check for unauthorized purchases. Do this before beginning any holiday shopping.
While you’re looking at balances on your individual credit cards, also look at your overall debt load. If it’s more than 10 percent of your income, consider paying down your credit cards.
Check your disaster fund, or what experts call your cash reserves. According to most financial professionals, you should have three to six months’ worth of living expenses socked away in case of job loss or illness. If you haven’t started a disaster fund, begin one today.
Study the balances on your retirement accounts. Do you need to move around your dollars because one account has out-performed the others and now your asset-allocation percentages are out of whack?
If you have retirement accounts from other jobs, now’s the time to gather all the information and look at your earnings.
Review your investment portfolio for the year. Do you need to redefine your investment goals and reallocate resources here, as well?
Check the balance on your mortgage. Have all your payments been applied properly? Could you afford to pay a little more each month? Over the course of a 30-year mortgage, extra payments or even a few hundred dollars a month can mean paying off your mortgage early. Check to make sure that your mortgage allows you to make extra payments.
Check your benefits statement from the Social Security Administration. How much will you get during retirement?
Review all of your insurance policies, including life, health, disability and homeowner's. Has your family changed during the year (married, divorced, new baby, new dog, new house)? Do you need to change your insurance coverage based on these changes?
Check your pay stubs and last year’s W-2 forms. Are you having too much—or not enough—deducted from your check? Many tax experts suggest that your goal shouldn’t be to get a huge refund in April but to end up even with the government. If necessary, get a new a W-4 form and revise your withholding so it more accurately reflects your expected taxes.
If you’re job hunting, remember, you can deduct the cost of resumes, printing, employment agencies and a host of other search expenses on your taxes. Check the IRS Web site for a listing of covered costs.
Gather all the information together to do your taxes including mileage logs, expense reports, invoices, mortgage information and your mountain of receipts. Then when all the end-of-the-year information is available, you’ll be all set and you won’t have to take until the last minute to do your taxes.

Q4 Home

Bring clay pots, outdoor lights and other summer yard ornaments in for the winter. Store them in a dry space where you will be able find them in the spring.
Check your home’s hot water heater, windows and the roof. Do they need work before spring?
Attach storm windows or caulk the windows, as necessary.
Clean gutters or hire someone to do it.
Test your furnace and change the filters. Experts suggest changing filters monthly if anyone in your family is allergic to dust.
Test carbon monoxide, smoke and radon detectors to make sure they work and that the batteries are good. Many fire officials suggest that homeowners check these devices at every time change (Daylight Savings Time) or at least twice a year.
Locate or purchase one or more flashlights for your house and buy extra batteries. Keep both items in the same location. In an emergency, you don’t want to think about where you left the flashlight.
If you live in a state with long, cold winters, consider going on a budget plan with your local gas company. Most budget plans divide the average cost of your yearly heating bill over all 12 months. You’ll pay more in the warm summer months, but you won’t be surprised by $400 heating bills during the winter.
Consider winterizing your windows with plastic. If you live in an older home, you may be losing heat through less efficient windows. Sealing up your windows can be a cost-effective way to save on expensive heating bills.

Q4 Yard

Rake and dispose of leaves per local laws.
Trim back evergreen bushes and roses.
Cover roses and other tender plants with leaves or Styrofoam cones.
Cut down the stalks of perennial plants as needed for new growth in spring. Pull out the dead annuals.
Clean and oil trimmers and other yard tools and store them in a dry space.
In colder climates, cut grass for the last time.
Clean out the lawn mower. Remember to empty the gas tank and remove the battery before you store the mower for the season

Q4 Auto

Check your car’s battery. Most batteries last 3 to 5 years. If you have any doubts about its length of service, get your battery changed.
Check your windshield wiper blades. You should replace them every year and just before winter is a good time to do so.
Locate or purchase a flashlight for each car and keep some spare batteries with it.
Make sure that you have jumper cables or a portable car starter in your trunk.
Some experts suggest that you buy and keep hazard flares in your car for breakdowns.
In colder climates, winterize your car. You can save time and money by having this done during a scheduled oil change. Make sure the technicians check the tires, heater and radiator. Also make sure the hazard flashers and signal lights work.
Locate or purchase one to three ice scrapers and keep them handy in your back seat.
If you don’t already own jumper cables, flares and the like, purchase a Winter Emergency Kit from your local auto supply store. These kits include everything you might need in a storm, and all of it fits into one orderly case.
If you have an older car or live in a hilly area, consider buying a large container of salt, sand or kitty litter to put in your trunk. These items can be crucial when you need traction on icy surfaces.
Locate or purchase a snow shovel and a blanket to put in your trunk. In case of snow-related problems, you’ll be able to dig yourself out and keep warm.

Q4 Family

Get flu shots for yourself and your family. This will save sick time from work and school during the long flu season. Ensure that elderly relatives also get flu shots.
Schedule a physical examination for yourself and your spouse. Experts suggest that you get a complete physical at least once a year.
Locate or buy a winter coat for everyone in your family. Wash or dry-clean them as necessary. (Clothing experts advise that you have your coats cleaned in the spring before you store them.)
Locate or buy winter gloves, hats and scarves for everyone in your family. You don’t want to wait until the first chilly day to start searching for them at the bottom of your closet.
Schedule an appointment for a physical and shots for your pets. Pets, like humans, need a physical at least once a year. They may need their shots more often.
Pack up your summer clothes and unpack your winter clothes. In fact, while you’re switching clothes, take an hour to clean out the closet. Get rid of anything that you don’t wear.
Give any out-grown or unwanted clothes to the Salvation Army, Goodwill or other charity organizations.

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