There comes a point in your life when you realize that you have to change the way you handle your money. The proper management of money is one of the most important things that you can do for yourself and your family. It not only gets your money where it needs to be, but emotionally, being financially stable will prevent lots of stress and lack of sleep.

There are three things that are often overlooked that can you should do to become financially stable.

Saving on education

Start by consolidating your student loans, which can give you a surprisingly lower interest rate. You will only have to make one payment per month, instead of three separate ones. You get to lock in a lower rate, which may even go down in the future. For example, with my student loans consolidation, if I pay all of the payments on time for the first year, my rate will be further reduced.

Consolidation can give you a lower monthly payment, which is a big plus for students who are just entering their employment years. You may even be able to extend your repayment term, lowering your payments, but resulting in a little more interest over time. But remember, this is a minimum payment approach. You can always increase your payments as your finances improve.

If you are a parent with PLUS loans, you can also consolidate. Rates are adjusted in July and tied to short-term Treasury bills. By consolidating, you can lock in a rate for the life of the loan, it is no longer variable. You can even do this before you child finished college.

If you are already making payments, you can consolidate. You can even consolidate several PLUS loans from several children into one loan. Your limitation is that most lenders require a minimum balance for consolidation.

You can apply for financial aid on January 1 through a FAFSA, or Free Application for Federal Student Aid. If you have a high school senior, go ahead and start the process as soon as possible. You will need your salary and tax information for the past year. You can update your application if there is a significant change in this year’s taxes.

Filing your taxes early

My husband starts itching to file our taxes sometime in December. It’s not a bad idea. Keep a file to collect all of your tax information in throughout the year. When the file is complete with your W-2’s and other papers, you can go ahead and start your taxes. There is no searching for everything.

Filing early will help you avoid all of the hassle and stress associated with tax day. Don’t be afraid to file electronically. It is easy and efficient, giving you a refund in as little as 10 days. There is also less room for errors when you file electronically.

Donate to charity

What you put out comes back to you. We have to take time to remember others. When donating goods and money, take time to make sure that you are donating to a worthy cause. Keep good records and don’t wait until the end of December to sneak in that donation just for a deduction. Pick out a few, well-managed charities that you will give to throughout the year.

These are just three things that we often forget about. It is important to keep yourself and your finances healthy – all year round. The best way is through actively managing your money. Schedule time each day to think about your money, then don’t worry about it the rest of the time.