The Financial Fairy Tales Blog

Money. It’s amazing that something which is, in reality, completely fabricated can be so difficult to understand and control. No one finds this task easy. And, no one has mastered the art entirely. But, there are still those out there that are better at managing their money than the rest of us. For the lucky few in this position, money will be on their mind a lot; without having to consciously force themselves to be careful. This sort of attitude isn’t something you are born with, though, it’s something that is learned. To help you out with this, this post will be going through three of the biggest areas of finance. And, the ways that you can start working to take control. This sort of effort will make life much easier for you; so, it’s worth giving it a shot.

(Image Link)

• Budgeting And Saving

Like any good financial guide; this has to start with budgeting. Without the ability to budget, it’s impossible to make improvements elsewhere. The best way to start something like this is by limiting your spending to the bare essentials. After doing this for several weeks, you will have a good idea of the money you have spare each week. This effort will get you nice and far into proper savings; if you use the money, you have left over correctly. Of course, it is also very helpful to make some actual plans for your budget. Knowing how much you’re allowed to spend each week before the week even starts, is a great way to ensure that you don’t end up in trouble. Nearly no school teaches kids to budget; so, this is something you learn by yourself. But, it’s very much worth it.

With a good budget in place, you should find it nice and easy to start working on your savings. A lot of people think that they have plenty of time to start saving. And, they will put off for a long time. But, with anything like this, it’s always best to start as early as you possibly can. This gives you more time to put money away; giving you the chance to save more during your time in work. Plus, being young doesn’t make you immune to the woes of money troubles. So, to protect your financial future, you should always have savings. Experts recommend that you save at least enough to live for three months out of work. This gives you the chance to get into another role; if you have trouble at work. And, it gives you a good reserve to help you in dire times.

There are loads of services out there to help you with an area like this. In fact, this is one of the biggest areas of finances. There are loads of different mobile apps and other tools which can be used to monitor your money and budget accordingly. This sort of resource can be great while you’re learning the ropes. And, to save, you should be using a dedicated savings account. Bonds will be too far; as you won’t be able to access your money when you want to. So, instead, you need to find the best instant-access account you can. Most banks have more than one. And, they don’t have strict requirements to be able to use them. Have a look at some comparison sites to find the account with the highest return.

(Image Source)

• Loans And Borrowing

Borrowing money is often seen as a negative way to handle your finances. But, this isn’t always the case. Loans can be a great way to afford something you otherwise couldn’t; as long as you choose the right loan. In most cases, payday and short term loans are best to avoid. They are expensive and hard to settle if you have further money issues. And, they will hammer your credit rating; if you fail to pay them on time. Your credit score is one of the most important aspects of your finances. It’s dictated by your financial history and is usually the deciding factor when it comes to companies giving you a loan or other agreement. Using websites like Experian is a great way to monitor this part of your money. They can give you the advice to make improvements. And, they don’t charge a huge amount for the service. But, this is only one side of the coin. Now, it’s time to get back to borrowing.

Financial experts talk about strategic borrowing all the time. And, it’s something that makes a lot of sense; when you understand it. This practice involves planning your loans to have as little impact on your money as possible. It’s designed to help people get money through loans without having to change their life massively. Of course, though, like anything like this, it takes loads of work to get started. A great example of this can be seen in consolidating loans into one bigger one. By moving loans from here to there, and having them all in one place at the end, you will make them much easier to manage. And, they will be cheaper, too. The same sort of idea can be applied to getting a long-term loan instead of several shorter one; you just have to plan ahead.

(Image Credit)

• Investment, Passive Income, And Career

Now, it’s time to look at how you can make some money; not just how to save or give it away. Investment is one of the best ways to make money, in the modern world. Investment enables you to make extra out of the money you already have; without having to do much more work. For people new to this game, it’s best to start off small. Look into peer-lending and share options which will make you some decent money in a short time; but, have a decent amount of risk. Then, consider some longer options, like government bonds, too. This will give you a good range of choices. So, now, you just have to think about what would be best for you. To get some extra help here, it could be worth talking to a professional investment advisor. These people have loads of experience in this field and can help you make the most of your money.

But, what are the benefits of investing? You have to put in an awful lot of work into something like this. But, when you think about the results; it’s worth it. Over time, your investments will grow and start to generate a decent amount of passive income for you. When you’ve got enough invested; this could cover things like your mortgage or rent each month. And, this is a great benefit. Along with the income benefits, you also benefit from having money saved by inaccessible. This means that you have assets and wealth; but, you can’t waste in on a whim. This gives you the security of a savings account, with the financial gains of a low hours job.

Of course, you can’t just think about the money you make passively, though. You also have to consider the money that you make through your work. As you work on your career, you should always be aiming to make your future brighter. This means that you should never stay in a job for more than a few years without making any progression. It’s essential that you climb the ladder as early as you can. Otherwise, it will be hard for you to find another job which can get you somewhere. Of course, one of the best ways to skip this step is by starting your own business. But, this will be hard in itself.

Hopefully, this will give you a good idea of what needs to be done; if you want to start working harder on your finances. Most people don’t bother with this sort of effort. And, most people haven’t been taught how to handle it. But, it’s easy to make sure that you’re handling your money well. It just takes some work.