The following ideas are intended to give you ideas to begin your
financial planning journey. When you make the decision to make financial
planning part of your daily routine, it will not appear so tough.
Starting your financial journey could be the hardest thing. These
suggestions will certainly assist encourage you to make financial
planning one of your primary objectives.
Tip #1 - Repay Debt
One
of the most significant aspects battling against financial planning is
personal debt, particularly credit card personal debt. If something
begins as a little personal debt it could develop into a larger debt due
to the fact that you were not reducing the debt regularly!
Financial planning implies you have a plan and paying personal debt must be the very first objective of your plan.
The
main benefit of reducing and repaying your debts is that you then have
more money to invest for your future. In addition, your living costs
become lower because you no longer have debt repayments to make.
Tip #2 - Start Investing
An
important principal is to start investing. Financial planning implies
that you are saving and planning for the future, so you will certainly
wish to take cash you make today and buy investments for the long term.
Areas you can invest into include the stock exchange, in bonds, IRAs,
4019k) or a blend of all of the above. Saving your cash with the aid of
financial management and good discipline will certainly help your nest
egg to grow.
Tip #3 - Have Goals
In my experience, the
number 1 reason people don't save is because they have no goals for the
future. Without goals, there is nothing to motivate you to defer
spending today in exchange for a greater benefit in the future.
Take
some time to set out some concrete goals - things that are important
for you. It could be a holiday, new car, maybe even a career change!
Tip # 4 Spend Less Than You Earn!
This
is easy to understand but not as easy to put into practice! This is due
to the fact that many people prefer to buy new things and want the
latest and greatest TV, Phone etc without thinking about the long term
consequences.
Regardless, you can't get ahead financially if you're spending more than you earn. It doesn't make sense, does it!
I've
met some people who spend more than they earn, and fund this by
increasing personal debt. This isn't sustainable and will only end in a
bad way. Which brings me on to my next tip...
Tip # 5 Know where Your Money Goes
Budgeting
is another financial concept that many people struggle with. You will
not have the ability to save unless you're aware of where your money is
going and you are in a position to influence your spending.
You
must make a record of all the money that comes into, and out of your
household.
This may be difficult to do initially, but once you start it,
it gets easier over time. It's not until you know where your money is
going that you can begin to take steps to re-prioritise your spending so
that an adequate amount of money is being saved for your future.