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Effective Money Management Techniques

Have you ever thought why so many rich individuals across the world have immense credit card debt? The main reason is the lack of discipline in managing their budget and poor financial planning. Most of the people often make imprudent use of their credit cards and fail to pay bills within deadline. They fail to stick to their budget and splurge funds beyond their actual limit. All these things lead an individual to fall into an overwhelming debt and becoming a bankrupt over the period of time. In order to avoid such catastrophic situation, it is better to stick to some effective money management techniques which will help you in achieving sound financial status.

Younger generation needs to be extra cautious

It is fact that financial issues seem to influence younger generation in drastic way. This is mainly because of poor money management techniques and spending habits of young people. Young individuals often end up purchasing things which are out of their own budget. One more reason is that young individuals try to match with the lifestyle of their parents but they fail to understand that it took their parents many years to achieve the position where they are currently.

Keep track of every single penny

Keep track of each and every cent that comes and goes out of your pocket. You can take help of various online tools to keep proper track on your finances. Record your financial transactions on every day basis so as to figure out the ones which are unnecessary. Knowing the precise amount which is added and removed from your bank account every month will help you to save on unexpected payments and overdraft fees.

Save for difficult times

Even if you think that you have job security and enough savings, make sure you plan yourself for rainy days. You must have adequate savings in your bank account to meet at least six months of expenditures and bills. In case, your income doesn’t let you to save for your future then you can cut back on your expenses. For example, getting rid of some unnecessary cable channels for which you are paying substantially can save you significant amount of money over the long term.

Set proper financial goals

Setting short term as well as long term financial goals is one more effective money management technique to get rid of unnecessary spending. In case, you have specific financial goal in your mind then there are high chances that you are likely to save some money than if you have no specific goal to manage your finances. Figure out how much money you will require and the time phases when you will need that money. You can determine your financial goals considering these important parameters. Short term goals can be achieved in less than 1 year, while long term goals take more than 5 years to reach.  Your wedding function is an example of short term goal you might look to save for. On the other hand, your child’s education or your retirement plan is an example of long term financial goal you may have to consider.

Get rid of unnecessary debts

Most of the people often struggle with managing their debt burden associated with student loan or credit card. One of the effective money management techniques lies in clearing your high interest debt first. You can designate certain amount of money to contribute towards debts every month. If you owe money on several credit cards then you can apply snowball method to get rid of extra burden of your debt. You can begin by clearing off the lowest balances while contributing minimum on larger debts. Once you have successfully paid off your smaller balances you can focus on larger ones by contributing minimum on some other debts.

Start planning for retirement early

Considering the ups and downs in the economy, when there is no assurance of your financial future, it is very crucial to start planning for your retirement during initial days of job. Confirm whether your employer is offering you benefits under 401(k) retirement plan. It is a special kind of account to which an individual can make contributions on pre-tax and post-tax basis. Companies providing 401(k) plan can also contribute matching amount on behalf of employees thereby adding a nice profit sharing benefit to the plan. So, in case you star early you will get stunned to see how much funds you have saved over the life time.

Set up an emergency fund

Setting up an emergency account is very important, especially if there is hardly any assurance in job or career. Try to contribute some fixed amount each month after meeting your normal expenses. Always make sure that you will utilize this amount only when a crisis situation occurs such as accident or health. You can also utilize funds in your emergency account if you are planning to start your own business.

Purchase used items

One more effective money management technique for young individuals is to purchase less costly or used items. In case, you are planning to purchase furniture, car or any expensive items, you can opt for used ones. Finding one which is not very old can actually save you decent amount of money. The used items may take you an extra time to find out but those will definitely help you to save some significant amount of time.

Conclusion

The key to financial success doesn’t only lie in getting a raise or following advice of your financial consultant. Your ticket in achieving long term financial success lies in mastering the effective money management techniques. This is because managing your money effectively is as difficult as managing your debts. The important thing you need to do is monitor your finances by keeping track on your savings and expenses, so that you can prepare yourself for rainy days. Above mentioned money management techniques will definitely help you to build significant amount of wealth over the period.

 





3 responses to “Effective Money Management Techniques”

  1. CI says:

    “One more reason is that young individuals try to match with the lifestyle of their parents but they fail to understand that it took their parents many years to achieve the position where they are currently.”

    Good point there, I see this all the time! It’s almost as if we are used to a certain lifestyle and refuse to give it up even when we can’t afford it. I suppose everybody is guilty of refusing to give up certain pleasures to some degree. Like there’s no way I’m going to give up my car or ski trips, even though it’s a major drain on my finances. However if it put me in debt I would be forced to give up skiing.

  2. I am curious, when you said rich do you mean people with a high income or a high net worth? I would bet most people with a high net worth do not have issues with credit card debt. It may fall more with those with a high income. High incomes can be temporary, a high net worth usually comes with some history of managing money properly. Nice tips on how to add some money managing techniques to your tool chest.

    • Martin says:

      This post was written by my coworker Alka, so I think she should answer your question, but in my opinion it is a combination of both. I believe that people with really high income have also a high net worth. The tips are great if you are aiming for those levels.

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