Vicky Kaushal is the New Face of Reid & Taylor
October 8, 2024
October 9, 2024,11:54:51 AM
Have you been getting headaches as of recent as you frequently are running out of cash? Why do you think you have to pay a lot of late fees and fines recently? Did you miss your last credit card payment? Why do you think all of these are happening? The answer is lack of organization. When it comes to personal finance, people are unlimitedly careless and ignore the obvious. They think they cannot waste time on trifles. But are these things trifle? If it can creep into your professional life, it is a sign that it is time for action.
Well, how to do it?
Budgeting
Before getting your monthly salary or income, prepare your month’s budget in a spreadsheet. Check all your bills. Well, now that is difficult, as many might have landed in the spam folder. So, what do you do? The first thing for financial success is not clumping up all the data in one place. Instead, distribute your data into spreadsheet pages. On one page, keep all the bill dates and the approximate date that you get statements each month. So, a table like this:
Card Name |
Card Number |
Bill generation date |
Bill due date |
Amount due |
|
|
|
|
|
This strategy will help you track your credit card bills quite easily.
Add another page for mortgages, another one for debts, etc. Keeping different debt classes in separate folders helps you track data easily. So, it might take some time to make the format.
Similarly, do make a page for your income. If you have multiple streams of income than salary, then make a page for each class. We will discuss more budgeting in the next session.
So, you have tabulated your income and expenses for the month. So, what is next? What if you still forget?
Reviewing
The answer is reviewing the budget. Keep on doing it frequently. You may ask why? Suppose your bank has changed the interest rate on credit card payments. Your minimum amount due might change. Keeping track and updating wherever needed will save you a lot of trouble in the future. A similar case could happen with your salary, your stocks, and other income. So, keep it a habit to update timely. Reviewing will help you save headaches.
An easier way to review is to maintain a checklist. When some changes occur, you can easily do this and later update your spreadsheet.
Room for Adjustments
Sometimes, even tracking might not work at all as there are certain events beyond our control. If someone in your family is getting married, you might have to contribute. Or sometimes, you had to take one of your clients to a pricey restaurant for negotiating a deal. Or sometimes, bill payments increase beyond your expectation due to some technical reasons. So, your financial organizing should be tweaked.
In such cases, do not compromise on bill payments or debt due. Instead, focus on spending less. Well, it is hard. But discipline was never easy.
Use different account
Your family should not suffer because you forgot your bills. So, always keep two different accounts for spending and savings. Why is it necessary? It helps track a lot better. With plenty of bank apps out there, you only have to transfer money from one account to another at your convenient place and time.
Share your home budget details with your spouse.
In case you forget the payment dates, this strategy helps you a lot. He/she could remind you when you forget the payments. Well, some might not like sharing every detail with their spouse. But remember, you are embarking on a journey together as equal life partners, and he/she deserves to know. Maybe they can guide and help you too when you need it. It is always recommended to share details to avoid future financial hassles.
Conclusion
These are some of the key strategies that you can implement for financial organizing. However, the success depends on how you implement it. These steps require strong discipline. You might have to forgo your comfort zone a bit. But if you do that, you might be able to live a stress-free life. The question is, are you ready?
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