No matter where you are in your personal finances, there are always ways you can improve how you handle your money. Taking small steps to get a better handle on your personal finances can give you more freedom and allow you to work towards goals you have in your life.
Start Where You Are Now
You can’t start making better financial decisions and getting your finances under control until you understand where your finances are currently. Looking at your current financial situation including any savings you have, and your current budget will help you know what steps you need to take first to reach your financial goals.
You can start by making a record of all you’re your monthly income and expenses. When you write down your income, you should record your net income, not your gross income, because you need to know what money will be available to you each month.
When figuring up your expenses each month, it needs to be accurate. Large expenses like housing, utilities, and insurance should be recorded first. Then you should move on to other necessary expenses like gas and grocery money. After that, you can factor in other expenses that can be adjusted as needed like clothing and entertainment. You should also take into consideration any monthly subscriptions that get billed directly to your bank account. If you are not sure about the totals for your monthly expenses, then going back through your bank statements and credit card statements will help you get the accurate information you can use moving forward.
Set Goals
Once you know where your finances are right now, you can start making goals for where you want to be in the future. Your goals may be different than someone else’s, and that is okay. You need to create goals that are going to support the life you want to live, not what someone else wants. Finding ways to save money like using Checkout Saver can help you have more wiggle room in your budget.
You may want to set goals related to getting out of debt. Reducing your debt can free up a lot of money in your monthly budget that you can then use towards other things you want to do. You may also want to create a goal in relation to saving money. Having a savings account for emergencies is a good idea. If you lose your job or come across an unexpected expense, then having some money saved away will help you from going into debt or falling into financial hardships.
In addition to saving money in case of an emergency, you may want to save money for another goal you have. If you want to travel more or purchase something large, then saving up money will help you reach that goal. Having a set dollar amount or percentage of your paycheck to save each month will give you a tangible goal to work towards. You can even set up your bank account to automatically transfer that money to a savings account so you don’t forget to do it. Often if the money is sent automatically then you will reach your goal faster.