It is my hope that you enjoyed your Mother’s Day this past weekend. And as much as you didn’t like to be corrected when you were growing up, good ol’ Mom was almost always right in teaching us the basics. Because today you would agree that some of her advice has proven timeless. Basics are important with money, too!
And while you may often have your financial planning at the bottom of your priority list, no fault of yours as the brain makes you undervalue long-term goals and amplify the cost of short-term sacrifice. It is not surprising then that people who do even a little financial planning have twice the savings of those who did not. So here are 6 timeless money tips to help you improve your financial situation.
1.Just do It! Nike has made this line popular but it really captures the essence of financial planning. You will be pleasantly surprised by what you achieve by just doing something. So the first thing you can do is set for yourself concrete, attainable financial goals. By simply deciding to pay an extra $100 a month on my credit card will over time substantially reduce your debt.
2.Share your commitment. Tell someone your plan and ask them to help you stick to your goal. Accountability can be a powerful force.
3.Watch your spending. It is really amazing how you think about savings. A recent study of how consumers think about saving showed that most people confuse discounts or sale on merchandise with saving actual money. If you did not plan to buy the item in the first place and you bought it, you did not save a penny even if it was 50% off- You just spent 50 % more than you needed too.
4.Hold on to your savings! Instead, focus on holding on to your savings. Whenever, you make a purchase of an item that you intended to buy at a lower price then hold on to that savings by putting that money into your saving account.
5.Discipline yourself to avoid spending! Self-control can be difficult but, if you organize yourself to avoid those temptation that causes you to spend, you will have much greater success at holding on to more of your hard earned money. So be sure not to go in the direction of the Web Cafe’s today! I know that is a hard one because they are every where but try.
6.Forget the Jones’! It easy to be influenced by other into making buying decisions. But don’t allow your self to fall prey to social pressures or even commercial marketing influences.
You will find that by making these little changes to your money management habit will go a long way in helping you to take control of your money.