Financial Planning

So, you’re off on your own in college now. If you’re like most people, your funds are quite limited, but you probably haven’t had to write a real budget before. Chances are that up until now, if you got yourself into a tight financial corner, your parents would be there to bail you out. Now that you’re an adult, though, you don’t want to ask your parents to do this even if you know they will. It’s time to grow up, and it’s time to work with a budget.

Budgeting can sound a little scary, but if you follow a few easy steps, it isn’t terribly hard. These steps will ease you into the whole budgeting process so that by the time the year is over, you will be totally in control of your money.

First, take stock of where your money is actually going. The first step to making a budget isn’t actually writing down what you will spend but figuring out what you do spend. For the next two weeks, write down every penny that you spend, and also write down where you spent the money and what you spent it on. The more specific you are, the better.

Second, figure out what you can spend. If you’ve been charging your spending to a credit card, it’s time to stop! That $200 now could end up costing you another $200 in interest by the time you pay it off. If you have a part-time job, a work-study job, or a certain allowance of money from your parents, figure out what you have to spend on a monthly basis. If you’re never sure what kind of hours or tips you’ll get, it’s best to undershoot your average a little. Then if you have extra money one month, it can be a bonus for fun spending.

Third, start your budget with the big things. The easiest way to fill a jar with rocks, pebbles, and sand is to start with the biggest rocks first. The same thing goes with your budget. You should be worried about major expenses like health insurance, your car payment and car insurance, tuition, and books. Write those down first, and then see what’s left over each month. From that, work on the pebbles – your groceries, gas, and other spending that is necessary but variable. Finally, you can pack in whatever sand you can still fit into your spending limits – eating out, random shopping trips, and maybe a little bit of savings.

Fourth, decide how you’ll work your budget. You can write checks for the big stuff or pay it online. For the smaller things, use a debit card only if you can keep your checking account balanced. If this gives you problems, withdraw cash and use an envelope system with an envelope for every piece of your budget. If you run out of cash in one envelope, then that budget is shot until the next month.

Finally, be sure that you tweak your budget as you need to. This is what many people forget to do. If the original budget isn’t working for you, then start looking at what you can change. Maybe going on a school meal plan next semester will save you money on food, or maybe you just need to say “no” to eating out with your friends more often. Also, you’ll want to revamp your budget if your income or your major expenses change.

Making and maintaining budgets is vital to prevent getting sucked into debt and needing debt management.

Many people hate the task of budget planning because they view it as overwhelming and frustrating. But it will make the task achievable if you look at it differently; an effective path to financially freedom.

Does it feel as though there is no chance to get out of debt and into credit, much less plan ahead for retiring from work or taking a break? Are you tired of getting your pay on Friday and being penniless by Saturday? Do you have lots of unnecessary products that you wish you had never bought? If this seems like you, we have got some good news.

There is a lot of guidance out there for you in different styles and you’ll be able to pick which one suits you the best.

One idea is to use applications like Excel or Microsoft Money. These are great options and resources for planning budgets. Money management software will take you through the process and let you put together or add new categories of where your money goes so you will be able to view the annual picture. It will then show you what you need to look at monthly so that you can be prepared. Budget software helps with your budget planning because it enables you see your money together, in addition to giving you prompts when it is time to settle your bills.

Actually, some computer programs will allow you to pay bills from your bank account. This is a great tool if you are trying to build your credit record. As you spend, you will be able to alter the categories; this will let you get a better understanding of where you require to reduce spending, or identify where you need to invest more.

Many financial applications often also have companion websites where you can set up an account and review your budget or savings. If you require something more hands on to get yourself back in credit, you have many possibilities. You can contact a credit counseling office in your neighborhood or online and identify what resources they have that you could use. Many offices have free courses about budget preparation.

Some people have such a hard time with planning a budget because they just do not know where their cash is going.

By getting it right, you’ll get to watch, a little at a time how your financial situation changes. Imagine that, by taking this action, you may some point in the future be stronger financially, or even own your own home.

The key is to take your time, do the process in small bites, and ensure that you take advantage of the assistance available. Remember that you are not alone but if you are already suffering financially, you should consider getting debt management help.

When preparing the family budget this is a very important consideration to take into account.

Once all your non-controllable costs have been calculated and subsequently subtracted from the household income, by non controllable costs I mean the mortgage, credit card bills, loan repayments etc i.e. these set amounts have to be paid or you’ll run into arrears, thus you have little or no control over them.

So once these have be paid a spending limit should be set out for controllable costs i.e. the costs you do have control over, such as food, clothing, saving accounts etc. These set amounts should be realistic and should not be set too high or too low.

An excellent system here is to award each controllable cost a weighting, say, food can have weighting of 30 %, clothing 10 %, treats 10 %, savings account 10 % and so on. This system should be based on importance, with the most important cost being allocated the highest weighting and the least important the lowest.

When the set of weightings have been allocated you’ll multiply the percentage figure for each by the money left over (after each non-controllable cost has been catered for).

For example, if the money left over after non-controllable costs have been settled is

Having children emphasizes the importance of making and caring for money, since you are responsible for other people and their standard of living. The habits that may have worked when you were alone no longer will. Households made up if one or two parents will be able to benefit from the following suggestions.

Take advantage of generic brands whenever possible. They are often the same thing sold by name brand companies. Many children, though, are convinced that the only types of cereal they like are those name brands they’ve gotten acquainted with, so help them get accustomed to their generic counterparts slowly. Using a separate container instead of the cereal’s original packaging to store it could help kids make the switch without even noticing.

Both name brand and generic toiletries can be found at dollar stores for discounted prices. These could include shampoo, detergent, soap, and other common home cleaning supplies. Shopping at such stores before going straight to the grocery store can help save money. Using coupons at the grocery store will be of even more assistance.

Stop using expensive professional cleaning services in favor of doing you cleaning at home instead. For example, using Dryel brand dryer sheets works almost exactly like professional dry cleaning, but is much more cost effective and can be done in a normal home dryer.

Buy a used car. Even though everybody loves driving a new car, getting a well cared for and certified used car will save you lots of money, since cars lose value very quickly. You can ensure that the used car you select hasn’t been through any severe damage before you decide to purchase it.

Find unexpected places to make your clothing purchases. These could be made up of yard sales, thrift stores, consignment shops, and flea markets. You will have to spend more time hunting down real quality garments at these places, but the price you get will be well worth the extra effort you will have put forth. In this way, the entire family can dress great at a great price.

Take money for savings straight out of your paycheck. The best of intentions can fall to the wayside when it comes to savings because things just come up. Automatically depositing a certain amount of your paycheck into a savings account can be of real benefit. This can be done as soon as you have been paid. Banks can work with you to establish the best plan in your situation. For example, individuals who deposit their paycheck every two weeks can set up bank transfers that channel money to their savings account right away.

Saving money requires determination and effort. Sadly, it is never easy. Though taking out some time to get a hold of the family’s financial situation is not easy or pleasant, the entire family (including the kids) is well worth it.

One thing that many high schools today fail to teach students is finance management. Studies have shown that many students graduate from high school without knowing the basics of personal finance. Many of these same students will shortly be sent a credit card after their graduation and because of this it is easy to see why so many people today have problems with debt and bad credit.

Broadcasting Some Bad Habits

The news and media are a part of the problem as well. We live in a society where people are constantly told that they need to borrow money in order to pay for things like cars, houses, appliances, and other large expenses. Financial experts tout the benefits of using secured loans, home loans, or other credit tools in order to pay for the things you need. The concept of saving money is rarely mentioned. Many people borrow until they realize that they’ve borrowed too much, and then it is too late. They end up debt they can’t get out of, and their credit could be ruined.

Save For Your Future

Saving money is a simple way of getting the things you want. It promotes discipline, honesty, and hard work. It is also a way of building long term wealth, especially if you put the money in an IRA, 401K, or other long term investments. It is a fact that the average American who makes $33,000 per year are guaranteed to make well over $600,000 in 20 years. The problem is, after 20 years have passed, most Americans don’t have anything to show for it. This is because they fail to save money.

Money, Money, Money

Most choose to take the easy way out and loan money from banks and credit card companies to pay for those big expenses like houses, cars, and education. These institutions will always charge interest on these loans. Consumers will never pay back what they owe. They always pay more, because interest is money that is charged on money. In effect, credit card companies become the masters, while many consumers play the role of being slaves. These institutions are guaranteed to get back more than they loan because of the interest they charge.

Because of this, it is important to save money for big purchases. Since we live in a society that is credit based, there is nothing wrong with having one or two credit cards. However, too many people end up with so many credit products that they put their financial future in danger. Saving money is a simple thing that anyone can do as long as they have a job or own their own business. You want to set goals for yourself. If you make $33,000 per year, this means that you probably make about $2,750 per month.

Imagine What You Would Do

What if you could set aside $750 of that money and save it? By the end of the year, you would have saved $9,000. Instead of carrying this balance on your credit cards, you could have it in your bank account. If you do that for another year, you would have saved $18,000. As you can see, doing this for a number of years can give you a fantastic amount of money. This is especially true if you invest a portion of it in mutual funds or other investments.

Personal Finance Training Starts at Home

Parents should teach their children about the importance of saving money while they’re young. Don’t count on the school system to do it, because it is likely they won’t. Instead of buying them something when they ask for it, why not having them do chores or jobs and then pay them? This will teach them to be mature and responsible when they are young, and when they get older they will not be prone to getting credit cards or loans in order to pay for expenses; saving money can help you avoid having bad credit.