There’s never a better time to reassess your goals and objectives than at the start of a new year – especially when finances are involved. Although we are a few months in, there’s still plenty of time for you to resolve to make better choices with your money this year.
While there are certain things – such as unexpected expenses and variable interest rates – that you have no control over, you can adjust your strategies to account for changes in areas like your personal life.
With a few simple tips, it’s easy to make 2019 your best financial year ever. But how do you know where to start?
Well, that’s where we come in. In this post, we’ll hit you with our top money management tips, so you can save more this year.
1. Start with a Financial Calendar
We all start the year off with great intentions, whether it’s to finally get your finances in order or to lose that pesky spare tire. If you have good intentions but often forget to follow through, creating a financial calendar could help you stay on track.
Set reminders for yourself as you would any other task – be it a dentist appointment or your grocery shopping list. Here are 14 important personal finance dates to mark on your calendar.
2. Create a Personal Budget
Another one of our best tips on money management is to create a personal budget – no matter what.
Creating a personal budget is the ultimate way to kickstart all of your goals in life – financial or otherwise.
Here’s the simplest way to get started.
3. Set Smart Financial Goals
Smart goals meet a few requirements: they are specific, measurable, attainable, realistic, and time-bound.Very regularly, we set monetary objectives for ourselves that are foolish. Much like guarantees to get in shape or exercise all the more routinely, we are our own greatest deterrent with regards to keeping the objectives we set for ourselves. On certain events, our monetary objectives are excessively grand or driven. In others, they basically aren’t quantifiable.
By the day’s end, it’s anything but difficult to feel disheartened when we can’t see unmistakable improvement made towards accomplishing our objectives. Setting S.M.A.R.T. money related objectives compels us to wind up responsible and gain genuine ground on our way towards monetary wellbeing.
4. Explicit
To start with, your money related objectives ought to be as Specific as conceivable so as to effectively accomplish precisely what you need. Continuously incorporate however much detail as could be expected.
Rather than describing your goals using just words, use numbers and dates, too.
When do you want to pay your $1,000 of credit card debt off by? What does a realistic monthly payment look like?
5. Put a Specific Percentage of Income Towards Your Financial Goals
These goals could be anything from adding to your emergency fund to paying down your student loans to saving for retirement.
This percentage will obviously vary depending on your income and expenses, but it could be anywhere from 10 percent to 30 percent. It’s just a matter of what feels comfortable for you.
6. Be Sure to Budget for Your Lifestyle
Here’s one of our best money management tips: When creating your personal budget, don’t neglect to take your lifestyle into account too.
If you enjoy going out to eat or grabbing drinks after work every Thursday, be sure to include these things in your budget.
As important as it is to save, it’s important to let yourself enjoy life every once in a while, too!
Try These Money Management Tips Today
These 6 personal money management tips are a great starting point on your journey to financial wellness.
Start by setting up your financial calendar, then work your way down the list. You’ll be on your way to financial freedom in no time at all.
While you’re working towards getting financially healthy, why not work towards getting physically healthy, too? Check out our health and fitness section for more.
Source: ArticleCube
