Planning your finances can be difficult if you’ve never done it before and don’t know what you’re doing. You could go to a professional financial planner, but that will cost you money and you still might not learn how to do it yourself.
There are seven mishaps that are common when you’re planning your finances and are best to avoid.
Not maintaining a balance between incomes & expenses
Balancing your income and your expenses is the very first thing to consider when planning your finances.
If you don’t have an idea about how much money you have coming in and how much you have gone out, you can’t even begin to calculate the rest of your finances. Start small with knowing your monthly balances of incomes and expenses.
After you’ve figured out a monthly balance that works for you, then you can turn it into an annual balance that works. At first, one paycheck at a time you should track your income and expenses so you know exactly where your money is coming from and where it is going out to.
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Not keeping an emergency fund
You need to avoid not keeping an emergency fund because it’s money that you always have to fall back in. Tough times come in every person’s life but if you’re prepared, they don’t need to be financially draining.
Having an emergency fund that consists of at least 3-6 months of your expenses is the perfect way to prepare for any potential tough times ahead.
You can’t predict the future but you can help yourself by setting aside enough money to fall back on in case things get rough. This money should be instantly available and ready to be used at the drop of a dime.
Not availing various insurance for home and car
If you aren’t availing of various insurance for your house and car, you aren’t taking advantage of a way to save money. You can get many insurances to bundle both your home and car together so you can save money on insuring both.
You should take your time, do your research and get comprehensive insurance quotes so you know exactly how much money you’ll be paying insurance.
It’s best to compare options so you end up with the insurance package that works the best for you and your own situation.
Not considering financial planning seriously
Financial planning is a serious matter and it’s best to avoid any other way of thinking. You could easily find yourself without a home or any funds to live off of if you don’t take financial planning seriously.
Saving money for the future and managing it wisely is the key to financial success and fewer burdens later in life.
If you can focus and dedicate yourself to this then your money will go a lot further than you might think.
Planning today to live a better life tomorrow is what many people can’t do because they have too much going on in their lives, but it’s best if you start sooner than later.
Not investing in stocks
Avoiding investing in stocks is like avoiding free money. The stock market is a great place to put your money and make it grow for you.
If you can invest a portion of every pay to the stock market, you will start to see your dividends return to you and make more money without doing anything at all.
The key to doing this is by doing your research and figuring out what stocks are the best to invest in and when to do it. If you can do this then you will be able to make money in the stock market by doing nothing. This is called passive income.
Not looking for deals
If you’re not looking for deals then you’re wasting money. Even if you have the purchasing power to buy an item at a high price, it’s not always the best idea to buy it without looking for cheaper deals. This could mean using a coupon or shopping around.
The best way to keep your money is to act like you don’t have a lot of it. This means you’re always looking around for deals on items and the lowest price that you can find an item.
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Wasting money
Being wasteful with your money by buying products you don’t actually need is something that you want to avoid when planning your finances. Non-essential items can be a waste of money because they lose value and might end up in the trash.
It’s best to avoid these kinds of items at all costs when planning your finances because they will only take away from your money. Instead, buy items that you need and items that will rise in value over time.
