Not everyone is savvy with money but that doesn’t mean you can’t be! Once you decide to get better with your money and make it a priority, you can definitely improve your spending habits and financial portfolio. Being good with money is a fantastic quality and these tips will help you.
Track Your Spending
One of the first things you should do when figuring out your money is to track your spending. Keep track of every single purchase from the large couch you just bought to the tip you left at the coffee shop. You don’t have to do this forever but it is a great way to see how you are spending your money. Once you have written down everything you spend your money on, categorize it to see where you put most of your money. Do you spend a lot on groceries or gas? Or maybe you are buying a lot of movie tickets and spending a lot on entertainment. Knowing where your money is going will help you cut back on the excess spending. If tracking your spending seems difficult, look for an app that will help you sort and track your money- there are many out there!
Consolidate Your Debt
If you have ongoing debt in various accounts, you may want to consider combining the debt into one, easier to manage account. For example, if you have a credit card with a running balance, a car loan and also a student loan, you can actually put all of these together to simplify your monthly bills and also potentially lower your interest rates. By taking out cash loans you can use that money to pay off all your other debts in cull. Now, each month, all you need to worry about is paying your cash loan on time. Not only will your payment likely be lower, but it also saves you time paying each individual account. Consolidating your debt can even help improve your credit score as you close finished accounts and open a new one that you pay on time every month. Cash loans can make your money easier to manage and even save you money!
Make Cuts
Assess your spending habits and see where you can cut back easily. Do you really need that extra-large cappuccino or would a medium be okay? Are you really utilizing that magazine subscription or is it something you can cancel? In addition to cutting expenses, try to lower the ones that you have. Call your cable provider and see if there is a cheaper package. Check the weekly grocery circular before going shopping so that you know what is on sale. Cutting your costs and shopping smart will help you get financially ahead.
Plan to Save
After you know how much you are spending each month and on what, you can start planning to save money. You don’t need to save every extra penny (in fact, you shouldn’t!), but set an amount that you can easily put aside each month. Maybe you can afford to put $1000 into a savings account each month or maybe only $50, no matter what it is, it is smart to save something.
Set Goals
One of the best ways to save money is to set personal goals. Think of what you want to save your money for and start working towards it. When you have something exciting and fun planned, you will be more likely to push yourself to save. Start putting money away for a vacation or a new car. You can also begin saving for your child’s education or your own personal retirement. Not all goals have to be big, in fact, it can be good to set smaller, immediately achievable goals too. Set aside a little money each month for that new phone you want or for a wardrobe update. It is not only fun to reach these smaller goals but it will prove that you know how to plan and save.
