Hey everyone! How is your week going? Mine has been all over the place since the recent hurricane forced my college to closed down, and for me to evacuate. Luckily, my parents came and got me and all is well. Since I will have some time off from school, you will be seeing more blog posted this week. The post today is the first in the Class on Life Series. It will on money management. I hope you learn and enjoy from it!
WHERE TO START FIRST
Start tracking your spending. See what you are, spending your money on. Your small expenses can add up quickly. Set up a budget, or if you prefer, set up a spending plan. Like if you have $50 for a 5-day school week, possibly spend 5-7 dollars on a meal or opt for eating at school or home-brought lunch if you are trying to keep some more money in your wallet.
To start tracking your money, keep receipts and write your expenditures down on paper, or use budgeting apps.
When making your budget, remember to plan for rainy days and scheduled spending (like if you pay a cell phone bill or car note). If you’re spending less than you earn, you can start saving. Try to set monthly spending and saving goal (you can do this through apps of course).
To get ahead financially, you need to set aside a percentage of your money (try doing 10-15% of your allowance or paycheck). If you are just starting to manage your money, you probably are not used to setting it aside and usually just spend it as you make it. But once you get used to saving, you may want to increase that to 20 percent or more.
CARDS, CARDS, CARDS:
Now on with credit and debit cards! *yay* If you don’t consistently pay off your credit cards every month then stop using them. One way to do that is to not carry your credit cards with you.
You can hide them or freeze them in a block of ice if they are tempting you. If you have credit card debt, you can save money by calling your credit card company and asking for lower rates. The best way to save money on credit card bills, though, is to pay them off as soon as possible.
FAMILY MATTER$
Try even get everyone in your family involved with keeping to a budget. Sit down together and make a plan that you can all stick to. Work out how much spending money is available and agree with you what you’ll each have. This, of course, is more for students whose income helps contribute to the family overall.
Perks of Budgeting:
- Less likely to end up in debt
- More likely to have a good credit rating
- More likely to be accepted for a mortgage/loan
- Able to spot areas where you can make savings
- In a great position to save up for something you want (holiday, car, clothes, etc.)
- And most importantly: MORE MONEY!!!
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