Thursday, March 28, 2013

Personal Finance Control Made Easy With Simple Advice

By Song Mamaclay


Many people feel overwhelmed when they think about improving their finances. However, personal finances don't have to be complicated or painful. If you take the time to learn where your money is going and figure out where you want it to go instead, you should be able to improve your finances fairly quickly.

Act wisely. Do not invest any money into the stock market that you cannot afford to lose. The stock market is a very risky gamble and nothing is guaranteed. What seems like a sure thing does not always work out that way. Only invest money that you would not miss, if it was gone.

Most financial planners agree that the most important step you can take to strengthen your finances, is to pay down your credit card debt. There is a simple and logical reason for this. If the average interest on a consumer's credit card debt is fifteen percent, he would need to find an investment paying a guaranteed rate equal to that, in order to justify not paying that credit card off.

Timing is very important when buying a mortgage. You don't want to end up having to pay for two mortgages for a long period of time. If you are buying and selling at the same time, remember to focus on the selling first, that is the most important thing that needs to get done before you can buy a new house.

If you live near a group of employees that you work with, form a carpool. This will allow you to save money on gas, reducing one of your expenses dramatically over the year. Carpooling is not only fun, but a great way to implement as a money management tool for the year's expenses.

Do not hesitate to buy certain items second-hand. Look for second-hand stores in your area: you should be able to get cheaper furniture and clothes, for instance. Do not assume that second-hand stores do not have any quality items for sale: take the time to look for the best products, and you could save a lot of money.

In order to save money every month, do not sign up for unnecessary leisure services. This will just end up costing you money and more stress. For instance, if you do not watch all of your cable channels, think of getting a smaller package. If you do not use all of your cell phone minutes, think of downgrading to a smaller plan.

Keep a daily checklist. Reward yourself when you've completed everything on the list for the week. Sometimes it's easier to see what you have to do, than to rely on your memory. Whether it's planning your meals for the week, prepping your snacks or simply making your bed, put it on your list.

When you are taking out money, one thing that you must try to avoid is withdrawing from a different bank than your own. Each withdrawal will cost you between 2 to 4 dollars and can add up over time. Stick to the bank of your choice if you want to minimize your miscellaneous expenses.

To save money on your energy bill, clean te dust off your refrigerator coils. Simple maintenance like this can go a long way in reducing your overall expenses around the house. This easy task will mean that your fridge can function at normal capacity with a lot less energy.

Bring a friend or relative with you, when you're shopping around for a place to stay. You can often get carried away emotionally with getting your own place, and someone there to keep you thinking clearly and rationally is always a good idea.

Change your cell phone plan. When you sign up to an expensive monthly cell phone plan you can end up paying for talk minutes that don't use. So, the next time your cell phone contract is due for renewal consider switching to a cheaper plan and you could save $20 a month or more.

Each day, there are companies targeting consumers with poor credit histories with promises that they can clean up a credit report so that consumers may purchase a new car or secure a home mortgage loan. Of course, you must pay a fee for this service. Unfortunately, these companies cannot make good on these promises. The truth is, no one can erase accurate negative data from your credit report. After handing over your money to these unethical companies, you are still left with the same negative credit history.

As a person acting responsibly and trying to get a hold on his or her personal finances, you can look to many areas in order to trim the fat. Try knocking out that subscription to Time Magazine and watch the news instead. Ditch that Netflix monthly premium and wait for your movies to come on cable. There are many areas to trim.

If you have extra money, save it. Don't go out and splurge on junk food, fast food, or unneeded entertainment. Instead, put it in the bank, or somewhere safe. This way, if something comes up, you'll have the money when you need it. Better yet, use it to pay off any debts you might have.

Save on your energy costs. Turn off lights and unplug your appliances, when they're not in use. Use your heater and air conditioner only when you need them, and turn them off when you don't. Also, try buying and installing energy-saving light bulbs all over your home. Doing these simple things can help you a lot of money, every single month.

When making plans for the future, always think about inflation. The money you are putting aside now, might not be worth as much as you think in thirty years. Select a good retirement plan with high interest rates, in order to compensate for inflation and you will end up saving more money than what you will need.

As you've just read, personal finances don't have to be overwhelming. If you take the advice that you have read in this article and run with it, you can turn your financial situation around. Just look honestly at your finances and decide what changes you want to make, so that soon, you can enjoy the benefits of improved finances.




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