Tips For Taking Control Of Your Personal Finance

By Randy Best


Are you looking to better your financial situation? You have the power and ability to accomplish this, but it will require some research and knowledge. Luckily, this article has a lot of information that will put you on the right road.

Consult and review your credit reports if you are having difficulty qualifying for credit cards, home financing or any other kind of loan. Information that is outdated can have a negative impact on your overall score. If you find errors, send letters to the credit bureaus to have them removed.

Keep very detailed records of your spending habits for one month. Use this information to make a detailed budget for yourself. Find out where you are spending a lot of money. Otherwise, you may end up broke no matter how much money you make. Budgeting and tracking can be make much easier, and even fun with personal finance software. Whenever you have extra money at the end of the month, put it towards any debt or in a savings account with a high interest rate.

If you can set it up, have your debit card make automatic payments to your credit card near the end of every month. This setup will stop you from forgetting about the necessary payments.

If you are in collections, then your debt will someday be written off, even if you don't pay. There are consequences to this, however, and you need to be sure you are ready to face them. Ask experts when your debt expires and avoid paying collection agencies that attempt to collect money for older debt.

Many spend significant sums on a weekly basis thinking they will win the lottery, but it makes more sense to put that amount into savings instead. This is a better option because it will grow over time versus being wasted on a gamble.

An easy way to keep your finances on track is to have a written budget. To create a personal budget, try listing every expense at the start of each month. This list should include rent or mortgage, utility bills, insurance payments, food expenses and even entertainment expenditures. You should also include any projected expenditures. In addition to writing down the type of expense, also make note of the amount that you pay. Make sure your expenses are less than your income.

On the night prior to payday, put some reserve cash aside, and make sure that is all you spend over the course of the weekend. When you get your paycheck Friday, don't mess with it. This will allow the money for bills to still be available on Monday.

Look to bargain stores for deals on all your bedding needs. You can purchase well made items at a lower cost and save yourself valuable time as well. You can make your finances better by researching products before you buy them.

Simply said, spend less, earn more, is the best financial advice out there. People who spend 100% of their income each pay period, or worse, 110% of their income, never increase their net worth since they are spending everything that comes in. Calculate the amount that you bring home, and design a budget that spends less than your total take-home pay.

If you need to save some cash, disconnect your cell phone. Many people don't like this advice, but people did not have cell phones years ago. Having a cell phone is a convenience. If you feel that you can't ditch the phone, then review your usage history to determine if you can switch to a cheaper plan.

Go over your bank statements carefully. This way you can keep an eye on any increases in monthly rates or fees. People often forget to review their bank statements and pay more than they realize. Read your statement carefully each month for the reason.

Your perception on how you view finances should have changed by now. With everything you have read, you are informed on what it takes to have a better financial future. All that you need to do now is actually do it, financial freedom is right around the corner!




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