April 2024 Financial Checklist
A pinch and a punch for the first day of the month – April is here! And so’s your favourite monthly read. From preparing for tax time to planning for the school holidays, your April 2024 financial checklist is here to help get you through the month ahead.
1. Don’t be a fool with your finances this April Fool’s Day
April Fool's Day is a great reminder to not fool around with your finances. If it seems too good to be true, chances are – it probably is.
Repeat after me: “The big print giveth, and the little print taketh away”. Always double-check the terms and conditions before signing up for something.
Another pro tip is to always shop around and stay on the lookout for better deals on your banking products. It just might score you a better home loan interest rate.
2. Set a school holiday budget
With the Autumn school holidays almost here, now’s the time to start planning for any additional costs that might pop up while your kids are on break. These could include out-of-school care costs, outings with friends, family getaways or more.
To keep spending under control, it could also be good to set a ‘school holiday budget’ to cover any outings with friends or other activities. Explain the budget to your child in practical terms. For example, over two weeks, the budget might allow for two trips to the movies and one pizza party.
This will teach your kids to carefully consider what they choose to spend their money on and to hopefully not blow it all in one go. It’ll also push them to find ways to keep busy for free!
3. Maximise your leave around April public holidays
Did you know that you could score a whopping eleven days off by taking only five days of leave in April? With Easter Monday on the 1st of April 2024, you could have seven days off work in a row by taking leave on Tuesday the 2nd until Friday the 5th.
You could get an extra four days off by taking leave on the 26th of April (the day in between ANZAC day and the weekend). Learn how to hack your leave around other public holidays throughout 2024.
4. Get a head start on tax time prep
As the end of the financial year quickly approaches, now’s the time to get organised for tax time. Collect all necessary paperwork, like income statements and receipts for any deductions so you’ve got everything ready for when it comes time to do your tax return.
- Check out our free Income Tax Calculator
5. Shoot for the stars this Aries season
Aries season has arrived! This year, our mystical Mozo magic 8-ball hints that 2024 could be the time to seize opportunities that’ll propel you further in your career, Aries.
Now could also be a great time to reassess your financial goals, Aries. Take the time to sit down and work out exactly what it is you’re striving for financially, then devise a solid plan to help get you there.
Be sure to check out our free savings goal calculator to help you get started.
That’s all for this financial checklist, folks. We’ll catch you back here next month for your May 2024 Financial Checklist. In the meantime, go and have a look around our life and money hub.