Summer is in full swing and as you prepare for vacations, go out to eat more, or start on home improvement projects, you may be spending more than usual. Taking the time to look over your accounts and reviewing your budget now can help prevent stress in the future. Here are three ways to help improve your finances.

Change the way you budget.

Your current budget strategy may not be as effective for you as it is for others. With a variety of budget tools, you can find the one that works for your lifestyle.

A few common ways to budget are:

• Automatic – set up automatic payments and transfer for reoccurring bills.
• Percentage-Based – percentages of your income split up to cover your living expenses including housing, non-essentials, and savings.
• Pay Yourself First – on pay day, put a predetermined amount directly into your savings or towards paying down debt.

Make purchases with intention.

With the ability to buy online and receive a package in two days, many times you can make purchases on a whim. Some purchases can seem practical in the moment, but a month later and a day too late to return you may have buyer’s remorse.

Next time you go to buy something that’s not essential ask yourself, “Do I love it?”. Are you buying for instant gratification or is this something you’ll use or wear more than once? You may even want to wait a couple of days to make the purchase and see if it’s still something you want. Spending with intention can help you stop making unnecessary purchases and save more.

Build up your emergency fund.

Set apart from your long-term savings, an emergency fund can help you for when life happens. From medical bills to getting your car repaired, unexpected expenses can set you back and may cause you to go into debt. Being proactive and saving even $50-$100 per month can help you in the future.