Everybody loves to be independent and one of the best ways to achieve that goal is by handling your finances judiciously. You might have enough money now to pay your bills, to buy your meals and fulfill your daily needs, but it is important to live a comfortable life that involves the ability to maximize your money.
Here are 10 simple ways to help you organize your finances:
1. Credit score and credit reports: It is crucial to keep checking your credit reports and scores because that way you will know whether you have been a victim of identity theft. You will also be able to catch any incorrect information listed on your report. AnnualCreditReport.com lets you check all this for free annually.
2. Emergency funds: "The first thing you want to do is create that emergency savings account," Matthew Cosgriff, a financial planner with BerganKDV, told the Time magazine. Cosgriff advices that you save three to six months of your living expenses as emergency funds that you can access anytime. The time span can be nine months also if your income is unpredictable.
3. Read a personal finance book: If you know more about saving money it will be easier for you to save sensibly. Save money according to the goals you plan to achieve. Learn more about personal finance by reading books or articles so you can make better financial decisions.
A broken olive jar with treasure coins The Franklin Mint's collection of treasure recovered from the sunken spanish ship 'El Cazador' is seen among other artifacts from the ship in a vault at The Franklin Mint offices in Hicksville, New York, March 9, 2007. Photo: Getty Images
4. Quality is always more important: This strategy would apply to electronics, food, clothes and more. It’s always easier to choose budget-friendly products, but in the long run it will be more beneficial to buy quality products. This way you save more money because the products will last longer.
5. Be careful of fraud: If you store financial paperwork at home then be sure to have all security measures in place. While using the service of online banking, verify the software and websites you download them from. Do not keep important passwords in easily accessible areas.
6. Handling debt: "There’s the good debt and the bad debt, you would expect to potentially have student loans, a mortgage, maybe even an auto loan. What we really try to shy away from is any type of payday loan or credit card debt," Stacy Francis, president of Francis Financial, told the Time magazine. Create a debt plan when you are young and have lesser responsibilities, which will make it easier for you to handle your finances in the future.
7. Start saving for your retirement now: Saving early for retirement is good because you have the time that older people don't. If you have money left even after spending according to your budget then save that excess amount for retirement. It's always better to be safe than sorry.
8. Work hard: When you work harder and spend more time on having a perfect career, you are bound to save more.
In this photo illustration, a 10 Euro note and an assortment of Euro cent coins lie next to USD notes in Manchester, England, Oct. 23, 2008. Photo: Getty Images
9. Make a wise financial decision for yourself: Consider your past experiences before taking a decision, and don't be in a hurry. Take a decision that you won't regret later. Sometimes a wise decision may not be the right one or a choice that others would make, but you should stop and think, "What will be wise for me?" and then go ahead.
10. Learn to differentiate between need and greed: Since everything is a click away for us and readily available, we sometimes tend to get greedy and forget what we actually require. Be mindful while spending and that will save you a lot of money.
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