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Personal Finance Advice That Your Father Never Gave You

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During difficult economic times, intelligently managing your personal finances can mean the difference between living comfortably, and losing your home or being forced to file for bankruptcy protection. This article was written with the average person in mind. It is designed to help you improve your financial situation by teaching you to intelligently manage your personal finances.

One of the best ways to stay on track with regards to personal finance is to develop a strict but reasonable budget. This will allow you to keep track of your spending and even to develop a plan for savings. When you begin saving you could then move onto investing. By being strict but reasonable you set yourself up for success.

Cooking at home can give you a lot of extra money and help your personal finances. While it may take you some extra time to cook the meals, you will save a lot of money by not having to pay another company to make your food. The company has to pay employees, buy materials and fuel and still have to profit. By taking them out of the equation, you can see just how much you can save.

Talk to an investment representative or financial planner. Even though you may not be rolling in dough, or able to throw hundreds of dollars a month into an investment account, something is better than nothing. Seek their advice on the best options for your savings and retirement, and then start doing it today, even if it is only a few dollars a month.

Try using cash to pay for all of your purchases next week. When you buy goods with cash instead of plastic credits cards, it is easier to see exactly how much money you are parting with. Also, if you don’t have a credit card on your person you can avoid impulse buys.

Don’t do any Forex trading without first analysing the market. In the world of currency trading, any attempt to trade without first examining the market is just pure gambling. Gambling can be fun, but eventually you will lose all of your money. So, study the market extensively before you do any trading.

In addition to the other funds that you need to have available to purchase a home, plan for an emergency savings fund. This should contain money that will take care of three to six months of your living expenses in the event that you have difficulty paying your bills. The fund is a great way to make sure that you don’t fall behind on your mortgage in the event of an emergency.

Consider your many complicated feelings about money. Improving your personal financial situation begins with understanding what led you to your current state. Sit down and make a list of things you believe about money and material things, and try to find out what in your past made you believe that. By doing this, you can move on and form better feelings about money.

Give you child a piggy bank. It is never too early to teach your young child about saving money. When you show a child how money can be earned and saved, he will retain this knowledge as he is growing up. This will steer him in the right direction in managing his own finances when he grows up.

Find the financial institution that meets your savings goals. Avoid paying monthly transaction and maintenance fees by finding local credit unions, banks or thrifts offering free checking accounts. If no completely free checking is offered in your neighborhood find an institution where you can make your account free by signing up for direct deposit or you using your debit card a few times a month.

The more money you spend, the more money you’re going to want to spend. This is a bad cycle to get into with your personal finances. So, instead of spending money on material things to make yourself feel better, look really hard at finding a hobby to occupy your time while your money sits safely away.

Avoid impulse buying and extra trips to the store for single items. Keep a running shopping list on your refrigerator door or in some other convenient location. Add items to your list as you run out or as you think of them. Before you go shopping, review your list and add any other items you can think of. Follow your list closely in the store and check out and leave when you have gotten each item you need. This method will save you money, time and gas.

If you are having trouble making ends meet during the winter heating season, then apply for the Home Energy Assistance Program (HEAP). This program will pay some or even all heating expenses to eligible consumers during the winter heating season (generally November – April). All energy companies are required to participate, so find out more by going to your energy company’s website.

Start saving for retirement. This can seem like a far way off, but every penny you put away for your retirement now is another penny you won’t have to earn when you’re older, less interested in working and less able to work. Start saving now so you can relax later.

Plan to pay off existing credit balances. If you can’t pay in full, pay more on the high interest credit cards and loans first, while paying the minimum on those that are costing you less. As the highest ones get paid in full, start paying more on the next highest, and so on.

Remember, intelligently managing your personal finances is the key to wealth and security. In an economic downturn, being careless or foolish with your money can have grave consequences. Carefully read the tips in this article, and apply what you learn to your own personal financial situation. By doing so, you can protect yourself from financial ruin.

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