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As spring approaches, many people are thinking about getting organized, but financial experts say this is also a great time to “spring clean” your money.
Posted 3/16/2026, 9:17:52 PM
Bill payments file photo (Adobe Stock)
By Keely Arthur, WRAL consumer reporter
As spring approaches, many people are thinking about getting organized, but financial experts say this is also a great time to “spring clean” your money.
The first step? Understanding exactly where your money is going. That means taking a close look at your bank and credit card statements.
“Download a spreadsheet of your transactions from the past year and spend some time going through it to see where you actually spent,” said Matt Schulz, Chief Consumer Finance Analyst at LendingTree.
Once you have a clearer picture, the next step could save you money quickly: negotiating your credit card interest rate.
“About three out of every four people who ask for a lower interest rate on their credit card get one in a given year, but too few people ever ask,” Schulz said.
Those reductions can be significant, sometimes lowering your rate by six or seven percentage points. And you don’t need perfect credit to try.
“We’ve seen for years that 75 to 80 percent of people who ask for a lower APR get it,” Schulz explained. “That’s a pretty good indication you don’t need a 750 credit score or higher.”
From there, focus on building an emergency fund and tackling debt, but not getting overwhelmed by finding the “perfect” strategy.
“People can get overly hung up on the method,” Schulz said. “What really matters is getting started and finding a system that motivates you.”
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