Money doesn’t buy happiness – it buys choices. It also magnifies who you already are. If you are stingy and see money as hard to come by, you’ll treat wealth like it is fleeting and be less than generous. If you are a giving person, wealth will likely offer many opportunities to give and make an impact.

If you are struggling financially, you may not have the ability to experience the wealth that you want. Perhaps you need a fresh start financially.

Fiscal responsibility isn’t innate. It comes through education and having great examples. If you spent your life with parents who just got by or didn’t teach you the importance and value of money, you may have no reference point for how money works to your advantage. Don’t worry, you can get a fresh start and find the tools you didn’t have when you started out.

Try these simple strategies for reinventing your finances: 
Review your credit rating- You can’t fix what you don’t know is wrong. Run a complete credit report and review it. Look for errors and have someone help you understand the numeric score and any derogatory remarks. It is possible that your report may have errors that can be changed. For any negative remarks, make a plan to fix them as soon as possible.

See a financial planner- A financial planner can help you take a look at your long-term plans and help you make decision now that will give you options later.

Get some money education- From reading books to online courses, to other finance professionals, there are multiple ways to better understand money and make new and fresh choices with yours. Get some money education and start making simple changes.

Track your finances- Whether you use an app or old-school notebook and pen, track your finances. See where you spend your money and analyze any positive and negative patterns. Cut back on trends that take you away from the financial security that you want. Be honest about what matters to you and don’t shame yourself for your spending. Simply review it and see where you can make change and make a difference.

Having a fresh start financially can be liberating and have a domino effect for lots of life changes. Do yourself the favor and do what you can to review and revamp your finances for a better experience.