Let’s say you bump into a millionaire, who maybe didn’t even look like she was one. Yes, she had some nice shoes, good quality clothes, but nothing too fancy. You would probably want to ask her HOW? How did she do it, in such a consumerist society where spending is the new black?
Let me tell you her secret: After every paycheck she got, even when she hadn’t had much, she would always take a part of that money and put it onto her saving’s account.
You are probably thinking that being financially stable and able to live a comfortable life requires some crazy inheritance, a lot of luck or a very successful family business. But guess what – no matter how much you are earning at the moment, a path to loads of money is paved with good financial habits habits.
And what a better time to start implementing them, than in the new year? Here are some of them:
1. Automate Your Savings
This one is the best for all of you who struggle to save money. What it does is that it automatically takes a portion of your paycheck into your savings account, or your company’s, famous account 401k. This way you will be sure that the money is being saved, even without you having to struggle to decide whether or not you wanna start saving this month, or some other time. The best part is that after a while you will even forget about it – while the money piles up and leads you to a more secure future.
2. Dust Off Those Bills
Pledge yourself to pay your bills right after you get them. It will eliminate the possibility of bills piling up. If there is a possibility, enroll in autopay. That way you won’t even have to think about your bills. By doing this, it will be clear at the beginning of the month how much money is left for other spendings.
3. 72 Hour Rule
Impulse purchases are probably number one money eaters. A little bit here, a little bit there… And one 5$ thing a day piles up to 18 000$ a year! In order to prevent yourself from spending loads of money on stuff you don’t need (been there, done that), make a rule that each time you want to buy something, you have to wait 72 hours before actually purchasing it. That way you will have time to think about whether you truly need it, or you just want to have it. Adopt this good financial habit and you will get surprised how many times you will decide to keep the money in your pocket.
4. Buy With Cash, Instead Of Credit Cards
It’s easy to overspend (even the money you don’t even have) when all you have to do is to slide your credit card out of your pocket. With carrying the cash instead, you will have a real feeling of how much money you spend, without even thinking about credit card debt. But if you are one of those who has 5 credit cards and quite a debt in each of them, you may wanna consider debt consolidation loan, which will help you pay off all debts. It combines all debts into a single and larger piece of debt, usually with better payoff terms.
5. Live Like You Have Less, Not More
Especially with credit cards and all those different loans, it is easy to fall into a trap of spending like we have more than we actually do. For you to start building your financially secure future, condition number one is to spend less than you earn. Which is pretty logical and obvious calculation when you think about it. As your investments grow, after a while you will see money piling up like crazy.
6. Page A Day, Keeps Debts Away
If you want to become successful in managing your finances, you want to start reading a book or few on the subject and get a piece of advice from people who have already mastered the art of finances. Why would you play trial and error, when there is already plenty of knowledge out there? You just have to take advantage of it. Pledge to read at least a page a day in the new year, and you will see how easily hooked you will get.
Changing behavior is hard, and don’t expect a change to come overnight. Be persistent and stick with it. Start your new year with good financial habits, and just watch your finances grow. There is a big chance that one day you will be the lady from the beginning of the story.
