1. Cash in Hand

Have you ever been extremely excited when you found a hundred rupee note in your jeans pocket?  Starting up with knowing how much cash you have on you and at home is a good place to begin.

How much cash do you have in your cupboard right now? Go and open up every cupboard and drawer (and yes check under the clothes for those little envelopes and purses).

Tip: Instead of dividing your cash to keep it in different cupboards and in between your clothes, store your money safely in a small cupboard locker. This way it will remain safe and won't fall into your maids hands either.

2. Dividends and Cheques

Make sure to claim your dividends as and when you get them. They may be worth a few hundred only, but if you don't claim them before the date or throw them away, you will be at a loss.

Tip: If you do find an old dividend than has lapsed, then you can mail the company and ask them to reissue the dividend.

3. Filing Tax Returns and Claiming Tax Refunds

It's the end of the financial year and you have to file your returns. Forgetting to do this will hand you with a heavy penalty of Rs.5000.

If you don't claim your investments then a larger amount of your taxes will get deducted. You need to put in your investment declaration so that you get your income tax returns at the end of the year.

Must See: Click here to find out how you can pay your taxes online.

4. Have Your FDs Matured?

You get your Fixed Deposits and forget about them. This means that you are losing out on the interest for the entire period that you let the FD and its interest lie in the account.

So to make things easier, set reminders for your FDs and when they mature.

Tip: To keep track of what is maturing, find out if your bank will send alerts. Most banks do send across a letter informing you that your account has matured. You can also set up reminders on the phone.

Also check whether you can give a standing instruction to the back to transfer the amount to your savings account.

Also Read : The Tax Angle on Your Fixed Deposits

5. Bills on Time

Make sure you pay your bills on time. If you are late you have to pay a fine, even though its not much even 100 rupees on every bill a month does amount to quite a sum. If your are a working-woman it is real hard to find time to go and pay your bills. Sometimes even when you do have time, it is sheer laziness that keeps us from going out and paying bills.

To make it easier you can pay your electricity and phone bills online. You can also arrange for your bank to pay off your bills directly.

To keep a tab on if you have or haven't paid of your bills, you can make a checklist like this one -

If your bills are not paid on time, not only will it cost you a penalty, but in the case of credit cards, it will have an bad impact on your credit worthiness. This means your ability to have a higher limit, get more high-end cards etc. is affected to the extent that you keep defaulting payments.

If you have a job where you keep travelling, then make sure to either pay your rent before you leave, or give your landlord post- dated checks.

Watch Out: Everybody from the phone companies to your landlord will stop providing you with a grace period even in times of genuine difficulty if you always delay payments. Also, if your checks keep bouncing, your landlord can take you to court.

You can put your bills in drop boxes at your Railway Station also. So keep an eye out for them.