Often, simple things aren’t done well in life – they are overlooked because they are simple. People have nightmares and are sometimes pushed to extremes due to their ever-pressing financial needs, but all it would have taken was a simple plan – a budget.
Here’s how we put an end to those pesky financial problems by using these simple yet unbelievably valuable steps:
- Get a Perspective: If you want to go somewhere, you should first know where you are and where you want to go. Take a snapshot of what you earn and what you spend. Your Income would be determined by all the cash flow from your job, business, rent payouts ( if you leased them out), etc. Then, you must list your expenses like rent, utility bills, food, other expenses, children’s education, entertainment, etc. Save receipts and take note of even the minutes of the details – this can be accomplished by forcing yourself to record these costs. See what comes up when you match your Income to your expenses. Usually, for most people, this picture can be nauseating. Your values might well surpass your income levels.
- Stop that Mindless Spending: You should adjust your expenses first. You must ease your entertainment or cell phone expenses, use public transport instead of your own car and save on fuel, stop indulging and eating out, and cut down on mindless spending. In a worst-case scenario, you should downsize your vehicle loan, sell it off, and micro-manage your living arrangements. If your Income covers all of your expenses, you might still want to check your spending habits since this can give you a breather and help you fund your children’s education, or perhaps you can use it for a vacation.
- Kick the Income Higher: On the Income side, you should get another job that pays better, add another post during the weekends or work through the nights, consider a part-time business, and try to work on multiple streams of recurring Income. Anything that can help you add to your income every month. The bottom line for a healthy financial picture is reduced expenses and increased Income simultaneously.
- Save, no matter what: You have financial problems, so don’t bother saving. But then, not saving will again lead you to the same question: keeping a part of your Income in a disciplined savings account or some other financial instrument that can be used in the future is essential. An emergency fund ensures an adequate amount is available to cover unforeseen events (car emergency, etc.), should it arise. This will eliminate the need for credit, which can quickly damage your budget.
- Be flexible on Your Budget: A rigid plan and the fact that you need to stick to it is critical to hacking your financial problems. A budget is indeed a powerful yet simple tool. However, you should not be very rigid about it. For example, if you have earmarked X amount of money for a particular loan and get some extra cash for some reason, it might help to pay off this loan (although it wasn’t mentioned in your budget). A little flexibility will go a long way to ensure a trouble-free budgeting experience and will hopefully distance you from your financial problems.
The worst thing you can do is to avoid the problem, so read on and take note of five things you can do right now to start managing your debt.
1. Figure out how much you owe and to whom.
Your first priority will be to get a good handle on your debts. Just writing them all down on paper will give you a sense of the scope of your liability so that you can be better prepared to manage it properly.
2. When making your money debt management list,
place your debts with the highest interest rates at the top of the list in order. Those debts at the top need to be paid off first.
3. Make a budget and stick with it.
Write down all your essential expenses like rent and utilities. Cancel cable TV, high-speed internet, magazine subscriptions, and anything else that even hints at being non-essential. Getting serious about money debt management means getting serious about budgeting.
4. Stop using your credit cards.
If you have debt on your tickets, immediately remove them from your wallet so you will not be tempted at the store. This means that you'll be forced to take something out of your cart if you’re in a supermarket line and don’t have enough cash. It may be embarrassing, but doing that enough times will help you save money and make a dent in your debt.
5. Call your creditors.
If you carry debt on your credit cards, ask for a lower rate. Any percentage point decrease is beneficial. Don’t be shy–this is about managing your money debt management plan!
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