Photo by nattanan23, CC0 Creative Commons
If you don’t take the time to look after your finances, it can be hard to ensure you achieve everything you want in life and have enough left in the pot during later life. Whatever your age, take a long-term view of your finances at all times, especially if you are someone with a penchant for splurging your last 50 bucks before payday. Often, once you get into a good money management routine, you’ll wonder what all the fuss was about initially. These four critical money management tips can set you on the road to a realistic and sustainable savings plan for your finances.
Set a Specific Savings Goal
In many cases, individuals struggle to find the motivation to save money without a goal in sight. Whether you want to save up a nest egg to pay off the mortgage, enjoy regular holidays or replace your tired kitchen, knowing why you are saving provides clarity and excitement.
Get Rid of High-Interest Debts
If you have a string of existing debts from loans or credit cards, you must first get these under control before you start saving. Pinpoint the debts with the highest interest rates and pay these off as quickly as possible to ensure you’re not throwing your money away. At the least, do your best to move existing debts to an interest-free credit card, allowing you to pay off what you owe without accruing any interest on top. Also, consider arranging regular payments to your credit card via direct debit. It ensures you’ll never miss a repayment, which can leave an unwanted red mark against your financial records, potentially thwarting you from getting another loan or mortgage.
Consider Something Drastic Like an All-Cash Diet
If you find it easy to overspend each month due to the buying things at the wave of a contactless debit card, there is one easy way to nip this habit in the bud. Consider withdrawing your disposable monthly income in cash. This way, you have a handle on the money you spend and will be more conscious about handing over money for frivolous items. Studies show that humans have a more emotional response to paying for things with actual cash. Having to make a mad dash to the ATM to withdraw more money for that extra round of drinks or snacks, forces you to think twice about whether you want to go through with it.
Be Prepared to Invest and Compound Your Income
To achieve your savings goals, private investments may need to play a significant role in your long-term financial plan. Mainly, it’s critical to be consistent with each investment you make. It’s vital that you don’t go chasing your losses with investments, unlike the Martingale theory, which requires you to spend higher after each loss. By remaining consistent and investing a similar amount each time, you can hopefully, begin to make steady profits as long as your investments pay dividends more often than not.
These four money management tips alone can help you to change your attitude and perception toward saving. Once you’ve adopted some of these tips, you’ll soon realize how easy it is to boost your saving potential. Don’t view saving money as a negative; it’s a hugely beneficial step toward an enjoyable future.