Dealing with personal finance is a skill that every adult must learn. The problem is that many people never learn the right way to handle their money, having learned the skill from their parents, who also learned from their parents. Here are some solid suggestions for handling personal finances well.
Keep in mind that a college graduate will earn more throughout their lifetime on average than a high school graduate. Invest in your education so that you can invest in your future earnings potentials. If you are already in the workforce consider attending an online school to obtain your degree.
If you are accustomed to paying your bills by mail, it is optimal to switch to online bill pay. Every bill that you send out by mail will cost you 40-50 cents with postage. Pay online so you do not have to worry about this fee in your daily and weekly expenses.
If you have more than one credit card – cut it up. Don’t use credit cards to spend money you don’t have. This is the easiest way to find yourself waist deep in debt. If you do all of your shopping with cash, you won’t be able to spend more than you have.
Sit down and add up all the money that you have coming in to the house each month. Then sit down and add up the amount that your monthly bills cost. Subtract the money you spend on your bills from your monthly income. The number you come up with is the amount of money you have to spend on everything else – food, clothing, medicine, luxury items, etc. Don’t go over this amount. This will insure that you have enough money to pay all of your bills and aren’t spending more than you’re earning.
Not only are older appliances less efficient at performing their job, but they can also be a significant drain on your monthly energy consumption. Newer high-efficiency models are a wise investment that can save you money and ensure that your home is a safe environment in which your family can eat, live, and play. Replace microwaves every decade, washers and dryers every thirteen years, and stoves and ovens every fifteen years.
If you have a credit card with a high interest rate, pay it off first. The money you save on fees can be significant. Very often credit card debt is one of the highest and largest debt a family has. Rates will most likely go up in the near future, so you should focus on repayment now.
Eating at home and boycotting restaurants is one of the best ways to save money. If you buy your groceries in bulk you can almost always cook at home cheaper than the equivalent meal would cost you in a restaurant. It might be nice to eat out ever once in awhile but think of all the money that is just going down the drain when you do.
Avoiding debt is a great way to be financially stable. A home loan or car is fine because those are important things you need. However, individuals should not put themselves in positions where they must depend upon credit to pay for daily expenses.
Working from home is a great way to cut down on your expenses. You will save thousands of dollars on gas. Almost half of your paycheck goes to food, gas and parking, and that’s before you’re even paid.
A great tip for personal finances is to never buy anything with cash. It is very difficult to track cash and know penny for penny where your money is going. Rather you should use your bank card for everything, and write down in a journal or budget log every time you use it. Then analyze it at the end of the month and determine where you need to cut back.
Never cosign on a loan for a friend or family member unless you are willing and able to pay it in full. Even the best intentions could lead to financial ruin if something happens, and your loved one cannot pay up. This could not only strain your finances, but your relationship.
Don’t pay so much for cable television. How many times have you said “there’s nothing on television even with all these channels?” If you’re like most people, you don’t even watch half the television channels you are paying for. You can save a lot of money by scaling back your television costs.
Personal finance is something that must be learned. Learning to handle money well is a skill that is necessary in life, and it’s a skill one can always improve. Regardless of where someone got their first money advice, using great tips like these can put one on the right path to financial freedom.
