The last few years have hit our finances hard. A pandemic, job losses, and inflation depleted our savings and investments. Now, it’s time to turn things around. Here are five strategies to achieve your financial goals.
1. Admit You Have Issues
Denial is a false flag of calmness. It makes you believe everything is okay. After all, things look okay if you have credit cards and money in the bank. However, selfishly money saved for bills to shop or dine out means you have financial issues. It comes to fruition when creditors inundate you with calls.
You must admit you have financial issues before you can achieve new ones. Telling yourself the truth removes the weight of fear from your shoulders. In turn, you begin planning ways to correct your problems.
On top of this, you clear your mind to create new financial goals. Start by writing down your money objectives, the steps to achieve them, and their expected completion dates. Visualize their outcome each day to motivate you to stay on the path. If you feel like quitting, write down three to five items on index cards that help clarify your visions.
2. Look Into Debt Consolidation
Debt consolidation is a form of refinancing. It allows borrowers to take out one loan to pay off multiple secured and unsecured debts. Consolidating creates a single payment to one lender. For instance, companies like Bromwich and Smith a Calgary debt consolidation company gather your financial information. They determine the total amount you owe and if you qualify for a loan. If so, they submit payments to your creditors.
Debt consolidation doesn’t give you the right to overspend. It’s a method to turn things around. For this reason, make monthly payments on time to avoid added interest and late fees.
3. Build An Emergency Fund
An emergency fund isn’t a savings account for a vacation, dinners out, or other extras. It’s a fund to cover unexpected issues like a car or home repair. In other words, an emergency fund frees up your money to pay bills and purchase essentials.
Keep a minimum of between $1,000 to $2,000 in your account. The amount depends on your comfort level. Only use the fund to handle emergencies and replace the money as soon as possible.
There are a variety of ways to populate the fund. For instance, you can directly deposit a percentage of your pay to the account or manually add a portion of your discretionary money. Use the former option to guarantee payments.
4. Pay Debts From The Smallest To Largest
Debts seem overwhelming when viewing them together, which can cause you to panic. Prevent this by looking at the amount you owe in smaller pieces. In doing so, you create an environment of measurable goals.
First, list your debts from smallest to largest. Take the first one and apply extra funds to pay the balance quickly. Cross it off the list and move to the next, applying the money used for the first to knock out that balance.
Continue on this path until you reach the last debt. You should have enough money to pay its balance without issue. When you do, a financial burden gets lifted from your mind.
5. Create And Stick To A Budget
A budget is difficult to do when you’re in financial turmoil. Yet, it’s an important tool to reach your goals. It helps you see where your money regularly goes.
Use a planning application to design your budget. Include all your expected income and expenses. Avoid combining categories as it causes confusion and incorrect information.
Once you create the budget, you must stick to it. Don’t fudge the amounts to increase your discretionary funds. On the contrary, spend less than you make to teach your financial goals.
Keep Going
Financial responsibility means you’ve grown up and realized that obtaining your true desires doesn’t happen without discipline. You may need to sacrifice vacations and meals out to achieve your dreams. Furthermore, your friends and family might consider you cheap instead of vigilant.
In the end, achieving your financial goals isn’t a sprint, especially when you acted poorly in the past. It takes time and preparation to get things right to live an abundant future. Keep that in mind as you apply the above strategies to achieve your financial goals.