22 ways to get smarter with money in 2022

What you need to know to help you make it.

VIEW IN BROWSER | SUBSCRIBE     WED, DEC 22, 2021 Alicia Adamczyk is a senior money reporter at CNBC Make It, covering consumer issues, investing and digital financial communities. You can follow her on Twitter @AliciaAdamczyk. I don't know about you, but I'm feeling 22.   2022.   I'm feeling ready to make some changes to my money and financial habits. If you'd like to as well, this list is a good place to start.   You can think of these as financial resolutions, or as relatively easy financial to-do's to maximize your money next year. Not every task will apply to every person, but hopefully there's enough variety that you'll find a few that appeal to you.   Something else to consider: You don't need to check off every single item all at once. Bookmark this and come back to it throughout the year, or use it as a jumping off point to make your own list for 2022. (If you do create one, I'd love to see it.)    Without further ado, here are 22 things ways to make the most of your money in 2022. The first five are listed below, and the rest you can find on the CNBC Make It website. 1. Picture your ideal year   As you're ringing in the new year, take time to reflect on 2021 and think about what, if anything, you'd like to do differently in 2022. What went well in 2021? What would you like to change in 2022? Is there anything you've been putting off that you can finally take strides toward accomplishing? Spend an evening considering what you want out of the year.   2. Track your growth   If you want a decent overview of your financial standing, calculating your net worth is a good start. This is essentially your assets (cash in checking and savings accounts, investments, real estate, cars, etc.) less your debts (student loans, mortgages, overdue credit card bills, etc.).   Try doing this at the start of each month in 2022 to see if and how you are progressing toward any savings or debt repayment goals. You can use an app like Personal Capital or You Need a Budget, or create your own Excel tracking sheet. I do the latter, tracking the balances in my savings account, checking account, 401(k), Roth IRA and brokerage account on the first day of each month. Currently I have no debt, but if I did, I would include those balances as well.   Comparing my December 2021 balance to early 2019, when I started, shows me how my monthly contributions have slowly grown my net worth, even if they don't feel like much in the moment. And if I see a drop from one month to the next, I figure out what's going on and if there's anything I need to do to get back on track.   3. Invest in an index fund   New to investing? Have a few hundred dollars you'd like to grow? Opt for an index fund. Yes, there are trendier options out there, but an index fund works for most investors, especially newbies, much of the time.    Index funds are designed to track the entire stock market – rather than investing in only Google or Facebook, you can invest in both, plus plenty of other companies, too. This gives you diversification that can help hedge against market downturns. And it's a time-proven strategy for building wealth, which you can't say about buzzier products.    4. Be careful with trading apps   Invest, yes, but be careful doing it through apps that make a game out of investing, particularly short-term investments and trades. Stock picking can be fun, but it's not a way for 99.9% of people to accrue wealth (see articles on index fund investing linked above).   If you are using trading apps or investing in high-risk assets, at least make sure that you have a sizable emergency fund held in an FDIC-insured savings account.   5. Invest in yourself   Last week during a Twitter Q&A, I was asked what people should do if they receive a year-end bonus. Naturally, the "responsible" personal finance classics came immediately to mind: pay down debt, put it toward your Roth IRA, stash it in a savings account for a rainy day.    But after the past two years, I think we could all use something a little more, well, fun. So in 2022, if you're able to do so, use some of your money to invest in yourself in a way you've always wanted to but could never justify before. Maybe that's by taking a class for a completely new field or hobby, or finally taking the plunge to move to your dream city.    Whatever investing in yourself means to you, make a pledge to actually go for it in 2022. You deserve it.   Remember, the rest of the list can be found on Make It's website. Have a friend who might appreciate this type of content? Please forward it along! Trending articles from CNBC Make It This mom quit her job to focus on crypto full time and build 'generational wealth.' 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