You can take your fancy apps and complicated calculations … and get rid of them because saving money is not that complicated. Seriously, you do not need to be Albert Einstein to get ahead financially.
When it comes to saving money for something special, a holiday or to buy a home, this is what I tell the people I work with.
Stop spending money on things you do not really need.
Stop frittering money away on stuff that you never use.
Stop making excuses as to why you have no money.
You actually know, deep down, why you have no money. We can blame the rising cost of living, too many bills, the cost of petrol and the kids spending it all, but is really about taking responsibility for creating a wealthy life by taking ownership of your spending.
I am going to give you a few simple tips that I have been using for myself … and my clients. These tips are old fashioned and when you read them, you will think ‘wow, that’s a no brainer’. The trick is to follow them. If you really want the finer things in life (whatever that is for you) then you have to get serious about wealth creation NOW.
- Have multiple bank accounts. I have been doing this for years. I have one account for spending, one for savings (that I cannot touch and a percentage of my income goes into every week without fail) and one for mortgage
- Take our enough cash for the week. It is so easy now with PayPass and EFTPOS cards to spend without thinking. Before you know it, you have spend 100s of dollars a week on stuff you did not really want or need. All those little transactions add up. Three dollars here. Ten dollars there. We take out enough money for the week to cover groceries, petrol, lunches, coffees, transport and incidentals. Everything else is set up on direct debit our of spending account.
- Pay others first. Get your bills out of the way upfront. A lot of providers offer discounts on early payments and if you pay in time, you are not being hit with late fees, which add up over time.
- Don’t use your credit card for everyday spending. If you do not have the cash to buy it, DON’T put it on credit or interest free. It is a track to lock you into the longest relationship you will ever have. To pay off a $5000 credit card with a minimum monthly payment will take you 22 YEARS to pay off. Imagine what you could do with that money? Use the cash you take out every week to pay for everyday living. If you want to buy a TV or go on a holiday, save the money. Use your credit card in an emergency.
- Save. Save, Your financial security is up to you. No one else. Not the government. Not your employer. Not your clients. Be sensible with your money. And for heaven’s sake, save some of it. Put 10% away of your total earnings; a little bit every week and it adds up.
I know, you have heard this all before. It is common sense; we all agree on that. So why aren’t you doing it?
Leave a Reply