After the train wreck that was 2020, you may well question whether it’s worth trying to plan anything. But knocking off a few financial tasks early in the year can better prepare you for whatever 2021 has in store.

Save for your future by setting up saving ‘buckets’

If you plan for unpredictable but predictable expenses like home insurance and insurance premiums, car and home repairs, vacations, back-to-school shopping and holidays, you will feel less stressed when those bills arrive.

You may like to consider creating separate savings accounts at an online bank that doesn’t charge monthly fees. To do so, divide your savings goals by the number of paychecks you’re scheduled to get in the coming year, and set up automatic transfers from your checking account into each savings account.