Don’t make your personal finance to depend entirely on credit: learn how to save money, learn how to prioritize your expenses, see what is personal investment and what is not.
Although the economy seems to be recovering, many people around the world lost their jobs or have experienced financial difficulties in facing the recent recession. This puts into perspective how important it is to learn how to save money to have a backup in bad times. Especially when financial emergencies arise.
If you are trying to pay off debts, in addition to having to meet the monthly expenses, it may seem difficult to start saving money. Here are some valuable tips you can follow to ensure that you will be able to add to your savings every month for hard economic times when they arise. This will also help you avoid having to get emergency loans, which always bring high interest rates. Las, but not least, even when you really have to use credit, learn how to choose the best personal loans for you.
1- Understand your budget
The first step towards how to save money is to understand your budget. Try to keep a diary of your expenses for a month. Each time you make a purchase, write it down. Not only will you be more aware of your spending, you know exactly where your money goes. Understanding your budget means you will be able to predict the amount of money you need every month and how much you can save.
2- Identify where you can trim
Once you have examined your monthly budget, you may find some areas where you can pay less. How much of your income goes towards essentials such as rent, utilities, gas and groceries? How much goes to the unessential? If you are trying to find out how to save money and a high percentage of their income goes toward nonessential like cable, eating out, or unnecessary spending, consider cutting back on those habits.
3- Setting goals on how to save money
After examining your spending habits, count the amount of your income you can set aside to save every month. It helps to have a serious purpose in mind. For example you can set two important goals; save for emergencies and set personal savings goals.
a) Save for emergencies
Before you start saving for specific goals, make sure you have enough saved to stay afloat for at least three months in case of financial emergencies such as job loss, sudden illness or repairing your Motorcade. The more you can add to emergency funds, the safer you will feel. Save enough to cover six months of expenses is a great way to establish an emergency fund.
b) Personal Goals
Is there a major purchase that continues putting off? A new car? A new TV or computer? A down payment on a house? Knowing how much you need to save for specific goals can help keep your momentum savings. Keep track of the money you’ve been saving and how much you need to save to reach your goal.
4- Open a savings account
Open a savings account with a credit union, local bank, or bank online is a great way to make sure that the money you save is safe. Be sure to look for a bank that allows you to open a savings account with a low monthly fee or even better that you do not charge and offer a decent rate of interest. That way, your money will grow on its own and not have to pay to keep their money in a safe place. It is also a good idea to choose a bank that offers online banking or mobile so you can manage your money remotely from your home, office or any place where you are.
5- Autosave
If you are having trouble convincing himself (a) to save each month, consider setting up automatic deposits. Set weekly or monthly transfers of the same amount from your checking account to your savings account. It’s a good idea to schedule it for the day after receiving your pay check to make sure there is enough money available.
6- Keep long term
Long-term savings may be the key to achieving the dream of a lifetime or a comfortable retirement. Put away small amounts of money on a regular basis, it adds up over time. If your employer offers a retirement plan (saving for retirement) – 401(k) plans, take advantage of it. This is one of the best ways to build long-term savings. Choosing not to participate is quite like refusing the free money.
Sometimes, you can learn how to save money without even making the savings yourself. Many employers will match all or part of the contributions to the 401(k) plans for their employees.
There are also tax benefits on this, but keep in mind that there may be tax penalties for participants who withdraw funds prematurely from your 401k.
7- The sooner the better
The most important part is to start saving. Even if you are able to contribute only a small amount every week or even every month, save any amount, however small it may be better than nothing. Although saving money is not a quick process, building their savings provides a sense of security; the more you save, you will be able to recover-law face a financial emergency.
Learn how to save guided by these tips and start now!
