In these uncertain times, keeping a close and careful eye on your personal finances is more important than ever. To make sure you’re making the most of your money, here are some tips and ideas that are easy to implement, covering just about every aspect of saving, spending, earning, and investing.
Honesty and trust are key attributes to look for when you are shopping for a broker. Check their references. Be sure that everything they tell you is factual Your level of experience is important in this situation.
When you are thinking about your finances, you should be patient. You may want to go buy the latest and greatest technology as soon as it is on the market. You could pay a lot less, though, if you give it time and wait for prices to drop. With the money you save, your budget will stretch further.
Start building up an emergency fund today. In an ideal world you should have at least three months, preferable six months, living expenses stored away. Put it in an easy access, high interest savings account. If you don’t have any money saved, remember that it is never too late to start saving.
Search for cheaper utilities to get better personal finance. If you have had the same gas company, cell phone plan, or other utility for a while then shop around for a better deal. Many companies will gladly offer you better prices just to have you become their customer. This will definitely put more money in your pocket.
A great tip for anyone interested in finding extra money each month to put toward existing debts is to make a habit each day of emptying your pockets or purse of change received during cash transactions. It may seem like a small thing, but you will be amazed by how much money actually accumulates over time, and you may find yourself paying down that stubborn credit card balance faster than you ever thought possible.
To save on college costs, strongly consider enrollment at a local community college for the first two years and then transfer to a four-year institution for your last two years. With annual tuition cost savings of 50% or more over traditional four-year universities, going to a community college for your first two years can make a whole lot of sense. Many community colleges have direct transfer programs to four-year institutions that ensure the relevance of the credits you have earned towards your degree. You will get the exact same diploma and credentials at the end of the four years, as your classmates who attended the four-year university straight-through, but your costs (and possible debt) will be so much less.
When you are taking out money, one thing that you must try to avoid is withdrawing from a different bank than your own. Each withdrawal will cost you between 2 to 4 dollars and can add up over time. Stick to the bank of your choice if you want to minimize your miscellaneous expenses.
Spend less than you make. Living even right at your means can cause you to never have savings for an emergency or retirement. It means never having a down payment for your next home or paying cash for your car. Get used to living beneath your means and living without debt will become easy.
You can often find great deals if you go shopping on the infamous Black Friday. If you are truly dedicated, you can wake up at the crack of dawn to get into stores as they open up and be the first person to get the best deals, which will greatly improve your personal finances.
You can eat quite inexpensively at fast food restaurants. It’s not always the healthiest fare but sometimes, when you are really broke, you can buy a decent sandwich or a bowl of chili at a fast food place for around a dollar. Unless you have the money to buy your groceries in quantity, buying food from fast food restaurants is cheaper than you could make it at home!
Consider banking with a credit union. In today’s difficult economy, many banks are eliminating free checking accounts or adding new fees and charges. Credit unions, however, are non-profit, so they usually charge lower fees and may offer lower interest rates on credit cards as well, allowing you to keep more of your money.
Be energy efficient! Change all of the light bulbs in your home to CFL lights, use energy efficient appliances, even if you have to buy new ones! This will save you money on your electric bill and perhaps even get you tax credits when tax season rolls around! Check tax laws to find out!
One of the things that you need to remember when trying to manage your personal finances is to only buy the things that you can afford. Whenever faced with a dilemma of purchasing something, think quickly about paying it in cash. If you cannot pay for it using cash, then you probably can’t afford it.
Think of your retirement while you can still help yourself. Open a 401(k) or Roth 401(k) retirement plan or an IRA account to save money for your retirement years. Take advantage of your employer’s contribution as well, even if it is a smaller amount, it still represents free money for your golden years.
Keep things simple. Don’t set up an elaborate financial tracking plan or be too strict with yourself. Remember, personal finance is something you have to deal with for life, so make it as simple and easy on yourself as you possibly can. Keep your finances under control, but don’t lose your head while you’re at it.
These tips will help you save more, spend wisely, and have enough left over to make smart investments. Now that you know the best rules of the financial road, start thinking about what to do with all that extra cash. Don’t forget to save, but if you’ve been especially good, a small personal reward could be nice too!
