Many people struggle with money. Many times, this is because they are not properly informed on the subject. Don’t worry; the article below has the information you need to avert a financial disaster.
You can improve your finances dramatically by taking advantage of available discounts. Limit your purchases of products from higher-priced brands and buy these items only if you have a coupon. If you always buy Purina Cat Chow, but this week’s online coupons has a coupon for Fancy Feast, you might be able to get the Fancy Feast for less than the Cat Chow for once.
If you bought a defective item, chances are you will notice it within a few weeks only. You will not gain anything for accepting an extended warranty, however, the business offering it till.
Credit Cards
To maximize your credit score, have at least two, but no more than four, credit cards. Credit scores build slower if you only have a single card, but having more than four is a sign of possible credit problems. Consider starting with two credit cards, and slowly build your credit up with the addition of more cards.
Open a new savings account at your bank, and deposit money into it on a regular basis. With money in savings, you may be able to avoid getting loans, and will also be in a position to handle unusual expenses. Saving a small amount, even ten dollars a month, helps you build your savings over time if you do not have a lot of extra income.
If collection agencies are constantly contacting you about your unpaid debts, it is important for you to know that debts eventually expire if they remain unpaid for a specified period of time. Find out if the statute of limitations on your debt has passed, and don’t pay a collector who tries to collect time-barred debt.
If you invested or saved the $25 that many people spend weekly on lottery tickets, you would definitely have more money. You will then know the money will be there and grow instead of flushing your money away!
If you are under 21 and want a credit card, be aware that the rules have changed in recent years. Traditionally, credit cards were provided for students who are college aged for free. Now, you must have provable income or have a cosigner. Research the requirements for a specific card before applying.
Credit Card
Your FICO score is largely affected by credit card balances. The higher they are, the more it will negatively impact your score. If you want to lower your score, pay off your balance. All balances should be under 20% of any stated credit card maximum limit.
Gather all the due dates for fixed budget items for each month and mark them on a convenient calendar that you can hang where you can easily see it. If you use this method, you won’t miss any payments even if your bill is lost in the mail or you don’t receive it for some other reason. Planning your bill payments in advance like that helps you budget, as well as helps you avoid late fees.
Keeping your tax information well organized throughout the year will make tax time less stressful. Keep all your important documents such as receipts or insurance papers in one file so you can access them easily.
A helpful saving strategy is to set up an automatic withdrawal from your main account into a high interest savings account. When you first start doing this, you may feel constrained, but once you get used to it, you’ll think of it as just another expense, and the stored money will grow very quickly.
The best way to accumulate money and saving is to make a budget for less money than you earn, and stick to it. Those who squander every penny they make or overspend because they assume they can cover it with credit will never build any significant wealth. Calculate your income, and shoot to spend much less than that.
National Brands
Buy generic brands instead of national brands. National brands often cost more because they need the money to advertise their brand. A less costly generic option should be chosen instead. Often, the generic brand will maintain the same quality as the higher end brand.
Be vigilant for mail from credit card companies that inform you about changes to your account. According to the law, creditors have to notify you 45 days in advance of any changes to your account. You must decide if you will be keeping the account after the changes. If it’s not worth it, pay it in full and then close it.
Build a monthly budget based on a reasonable monthly expense list that you have tracked. Try and find out which aspects of your life are costing you too much money. Unless you do so, you can end up with no money at the end of the week, regardless of how high your income goes. Try using finance or budget software to help you with this. If you have money left over, use it to pay down debt, or deposit it into a high-yield savings account.
Once you get to a position where you are actually getting ahead, don’t use this as an excuse to fall back into bad habits. You can stop a backslide into poor personal financial habits by sticking closely to your budget.
Be sure that you’re setting aside at least one day a month to pay your bills. It won’t take you all day to pay them, but your bills need their own special day. Make a note of it on your calendar and remember it. If you miss this day, make sure that you tackle your finances the following day.
As this article stated in the beginning, there are a lot of people who don’t know how to control their finances. You’ll be less and less concerned the more you apply what you’ve learned from this article. You can reduce your financial anxiety by using this powerful advice to manage your personal finances the right way.