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Getting your personal finances in order is the first step for many other goals. It leads to having more spending money in the bank, better credit and an overall better quality of life for you and your family. The rest of this article will give you some advice on how you can gain control of your finances. If you want to be able to efficiently manage your personal finances one of the things that you need to define is your budget. Not having a defined budget is like driving a car without a steering wheel. A well defined budget will help you define your priorities in terms of spending. If you are struggling to get by, look in newspapers and on the internet for a second job. Even though this may not pay that much, it will help you get through the struggles that you are currently going through. A little goes a long way, as this extra income will help extensively. Set up any bills that you can to be directly withdrawn from your checking account. This will assure that they are always paid on time as long as you have the available funds in your checking account that is needed to make these payments. It is easy to set up and will save a ton of time and money in late fees. 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 saving money, most experts agree that it's best to have at least 3 months' salary put away for an emergency. This can help you cover all kinds of disasters like car accidents, medical bills, driving tickets, a fire, expensive equipment like a computer or refrigerator needing to be replaced, or any other expensive unfortunate event. If you feel like you can not possibly cut one more penny from your personal budget, consider the possibility that you might be right. Sometimes, you just have to start making or finding more money. Hold a yard sale, rent a room in your home or pick up freelance work on your days off, in order to try to earn more money. Make sure to always have enough cash on hand in case of an emergency. It is recommended that you have enough in your savings account to cover six to nine months worth of expenses. That way you will be covered in the event that you lose your job or you become injured. Try to refrain from keeping a lot of money in your checking account. Typically, you will not need to have more than a thousand dollars to pay your bills and expenses. Instead, invest your money so that you can build on the money that you already have in your account. If you need some money in a pinch, look at selling an item or two rather than taking out a loan or borrowing money from a friend. Do you really need a TV in the bedroom and in the living room? Did you really have to get the most expensive fridge at the store? You can sell some things for money in a pinch. Always make sure that you're reading the fine print on any financial contract like a credit card, home loan, etc. The way to keep your personal finances running in the black is to make sure that you're never getting snagged up by some rate hikes you didn't catch in the fine print. If you're opening up a savings account to put your emergency money, always look for a low-risk account, like a high-yield account. Here's an oversimplification: The bank spends your money and then pays it back with interest, but your money is also guaranteed to be there. It's a win-win situation. If possible, steer clear of the emergency room. Walk-in clinics, and actual appointments at the doctor will both have a huge reduction in cost and co-pays. Emergency room doctors can also charge separately from hospitals if they are contracted. So, you would have two medical bills instead of one. Stick with the clinic. The opportunity to sign up for a direct deposit program should always be taken. Not only does direct deposit save the consumer time in trips to the bank, it usually saves him or her money, too. Most banks will waive certain monthly fees or offer other incentives to encourage their customers to take advantage of direct deposit. Think about starting your own business if you have free time on your hands. You would benefit from interesting tax rebates and perhaps make a good profit once your business is established. Look for an activity that corresponds to your skills and interests and find out more about setting up a business. A good personal finance tip is to start thinking about investing your money for your future. You might want to spend all your money now and get everything you desire, but it's always a good idea to set some of it aside for when you'll eventually need it, further down the line. With a little planning and putting these tips and hints into place, you too can see the results you are looking for. As we have outlined in this article, your finances are a matter of sound judgment and self discipline as you make a plan and stick to it. The Retirement Group educates corporate employees that are transitioning or retiring with Netbenefit
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