The management of your finances should be simple and to the point. If done properly, your money will be easy to manage. It shouldn’t be something you struggle with. It shouldn’t take hours of your time.
It may take a little work in the beginning, but once you have a plan in place, your finances will take you less time and less stress.
Let’s start with the biggest time saver of all. Balancing your checkbook frequently. Have you ever waited a month or more to balance your account? You dread it because it takes hours and still doesn’t all add up. However, did you know that it doesn’t have to be so hard?
If you balance your account once a week, it will probably take you anywhere between five and 30 minutes, depending on how well you track your spending. Not only does it take you less time, but there are fewer surprises when you balance your account often. Things start adding up better because you are dealing with fewer numbers. If you did miss something, chances are that a few days are not going to hurt you badly. You catch things as they happen.
Take advantage of online statements or automated telephone tellers to keep track of your spending on a weekly basis.
When it comes to your checking account, you need to sign up for overdraft protection. By linking your checking account to a line of credit, you avoid the hassle and cost of a bounced check. But you should never use this line of credit unless it is absolutely necessary. It is just a bad idea for many reasons.
Start with enrolling in direct deposit for your paycheck. This saves you a trip to the bank. Have your savings automatically transfered from your checking into your savings account. This makes the savings payment just like any other bill. You don’t put it off because it is already gone.
Electronic bill payments are wonderful. Anything that is a fixed amount should be automatically withdrawn from your account. This saves you a lot of time. You just have to remember that it is coming out. I have a list of what comes out on what date paperclipped to my account log. I take it all out at the end of the month and don’t worry about forgetting about it.
If you can consolidate your finances, that is great. Having three credit cards leaves you open to accidently missing a payment. You have to make three payments when you could simply make one.
Have an emergency fund that will take care of any unexpected expenses or accidents. Most advisors recommend three months of expenses be in your fund. Try to set that as your goal, but you will find that as little as $1,000 will really cushion your budget in the case of something breaking down on you.
Managing your money shouldn’t be difficult. It is as simple as one plus one and two minus two. Don’t overspend and start saving. It really isn’t hard to understand.