Binlerce kişiyi zahmetsizce kurtarabilecek 3 süper basit ipucu — ancak Eylül sona ermeden önce bunları yapmanız gerekiyor

3 super simple hacks that can save you thousands effortlessly — but you need to do them before September ends

Rebecca Payne

Mon, August 31, 2026 at 1:30 PM GMT+3 6 min read

September means the start of a new school year, and while students get back to hitting the books, it's also a great time to look at your own books and take stock of where your finances are at.

Sure, two-thirds of 2026 have gone by, but there's still time to turn things around if you haven't managed to stay on track. Once you evaluate where you stand and implement any changes that might need to be made, by the end of the month you could be set up to power through the last quarter of the year with renewed focus on your spending, saving and investing goals.

Must Read

• Jeff Bezos backs a platform that lets anyone invest in rental homes for as little as $100 — 6 ways to build wealth like a landlord without actually being one

• Dave Ramsey warns nearly 50% of Americans are making 1 big Social Security mistake. Here's what it is and 3 simple steps to fix it ASAP

• The tax breaks in Trump's 'big beautiful bill' expire after 2028. Here are 4 moves to make before the window closes

Here are three areas you can focus on to make the home stretch count.

Neglected accounts

Once you take a look at your finances, you might find there's something on your to-do list that pertains to your accounts.

Perhaps you have cash sitting in an account that earns little or no interest, or an investment of yours has matured and you haven't looked at how to reinvest. Or maybe you opened an account with a great promotional rate, but that rate has since ended and you're now earning less than you could be.

It's easy to fall behind on financial tasks like this, but leaving them incomplete could mean leaving money on the table.

You could also take some time to look over your retirement accounts as well. If you have changed jobs and haven't kept track of your employer-sponsored retirement account, now is the time to track it down.

A recent study estimated that 31.9 million 401(k) accounts that collectively hold about $2.1 trillion in assets have been forgotten or left behind. Because 401(k)s typically come with fees — which, upon leaving your job, your employer could have stopped covering — a forgotten 401(k) could be costing you more than you realize.

If the fees for your old plan are reasonable, you might decide not to roll it over into your new employer's 401(k), or into an IRA. But it's important to evaluate how your old 401(k) is performing before you make any decisions.

The Employee Benefits Security Administration has search tools for abandoned plans, as well as a new retirement savings lost and found database.

Read More: Vanguard reveals what's coming for U.S. stocks — and it could be bad news for this group of investors

Review your insurance

It's no secret that insurance has gotten more expensive over the years.

A report from the National Association of Insurance Commissioners found that from 2018 to 2024, average premiums rose by 18.3% in the Northeast, 24.7% in the Midwest, 26.5% in the Southeast and 43.3% in the West.

Check when your insurance is up for renewal and mark down a date in your calendar before the renewal that will give you time to shop around for a better deal. That goes for both home and auto insurance. Matt Brannon, a senior economic analyst at Insurify, told USA Today that shopping around for a better deal is "the most low-effort, high-reward way that people can save on car insurance costs."

You can also look into whether raising your deductible would make sense if you're struggling with auto insurance costs. Consumer Reports says raising your deductible from $500 to $1,000 could bring annual premiums down from 20% to 25% on average, which could be an average savings of $464 to $525 a year.

Budget overhaul

September is also the perfect time to look at your budget and take stock of where you've been landing for the first two-thirds of the year. Have you been staying on budget? Or perhaps struggling not to go over?

With eight solid months of spending to dive into, this gives you the chance to adjust your budget in whichever direction you may need. For example, if you've been staying on budget, you might be able to up the monthly contributions to your retirement savings. And on the other hand, if you haven't been staying on budget, you may be able to identify areas where you can trim expenses.

Furthermore, your budget could be telling you that it's time to look for ways to increase your income. That could mean potentially taking on a side hustle or booking a meeting with your boss to discuss a raise.

If you realize that trimming expenses is what's needed, take another look at your monthly bank and credit card statements and zero-in on any subscriptions or monthly charges for things that you're not using enough or could do without. You might even realize you've been paying for subscriptions that you had completely forgotten about.

One study from 2022 found that on average, Americans believed they were spending about $86 a month on subscriptions while they were actually spending $219. That's an underestimation that could cost you $1,596 a year.

By taking the month of September to reassess where you're at with your finances, by the time the new year rolls around in January, you'll know exactly where you stand — and you could have thousands more in your pocket as a result.

What To Read Next

• Millionaires under 43 hold only 32% of their wealth in stocks. Here's where their money is actually going

• Here's the average income of Americans by age in 2026. Are you keeping up or falling behind?

• Dave Ramsey says this 1 indulgent purchase stops Americans from becoming wealthy. Here's what he recommends instead

• Here are the 7 top habits of 'quietly wealthy' Americans. How many do you follow?

Join 250,000+ readers and get Moneywise's best stories and exclusive interviews first — clear insights curated and delivered weekly. Subscribe now.

This article originally appeared on Moneywise.com under the title: 3 super simple hacks that can save you thousands effortlessly — but you need to do them before September ends

This article provides information only and should not be construed as advice. It is provided without warranty of any kind.