You will need to save more money if you would like to build your wealth. However, it may be difficult for people to do so nowadays. Many people will just spend all the money they earn every month. And this will make you unable to build your wealth. So what should you do in order to build your wealth?
The first thing you should do is of course try to save more money. As most experts will advise, you will need to understand your spending patterns. You should also try to set your personal budget. Yet you will not be able to save money if you do not have the determination and discipline.
As a result, it will be a lot easier for you to save money if you can use some automatic services. You will try to transfer your money directly to your saving account once you get your salary. Yet you will still need to have the discipline. You will need to make sure that you will not take the money from the saving account and use them. Of course there can be some urgent cases that you have to use the money. However, you should never use the money unless it is really something urgent. Remember, purchasing a new hi-fi system at home will never be something urgent.
You should also try to pay off your mortgage before you retire. One of reason of doing that is of course you do not want to be in debt even after you retire. On the other hand, the house / flat will become your asset after you have pay of the mortgage. You will be able to get some secured loan in case you need money urgently. The interest rate will not be high since this is a secured loan. If you need even more urgent money, you can consider sell your house / flat. Of course you should only treat this as your last resort since you will simply lose your home after you sell your flat.
You should also try to create streams of passive income if it is possible for you. It will be a crucial step if you would like to build your wealth. There are a lot of different ways to do so and one of the best ways is of course to do it online! You can consider creating an e-book or engaging in affiliate marketing if you want to create passive income online.
The author has great interest in finance. You can check his blog on Financial Planning & Personal Finance. Be sure to check Credit Cards For Students and Benefits of Credit Card Debt Relief.
Saturday, June 07, 2008
With the Cost of Everything Going Up, Can You Get Out of Debt?
It seems like everything is getting more expensive right now. That's no surprise, since the cost of fuel has gone up so much, and anything that has to be transported to you is going to be impacted by that increase.
Sure seems to make it harder to manage your debts, doesn't it?
When you're already in debt and prices start spiraling upward your situation can seem just about hopeless. It's harder to pay extra on your debts when it's harder to just scrape by. The overall situation just isn't pretty. You can still work on it, however.
Step 1: Take a good look at the problem
Where do your money troubles come from? They could be a result of medical bills, job loss, poor spending habits or other reasons. You need to understand where your problem comes from and what is keeping it going if you're going to get anywhere with this.
That's doubly important, of course, if the issue is ongoing and you can do something about it. You don't want to trap yourself with guilt about your debts, but you do want to acknowledge how they happened or are continuing to happen.
Step 2: Rethink how you spend your money
Few of us are so good with money that we already know where all of it goes. There are lots of little things that really add up fast that may be a part of your problem. Or it could be regular big things that you decide to treat yourself to. Or it might just be something that you have to deal with no matter what.
Get and keep receipts for all your spending for at least a month. The more detailed the better, as little purchases can hide in some of your more practical shopping. Go over them and see where your habits are going wrong.
This can help you to target the areas that you should be cutting back on. All those trips out for coffee, for example, can really add up when you could be making coffee at home. You can even add flavors at home for far less than you would at the coffee shop.
Don't forget to consider bigger things too, of course. If you're really serious about cutting back look at things like your cable and telephone bills to see about monthly bills that could be smaller.
Step 3: Limit yourself to one credit card
But only if you can use that one card wisely. You may need to get rid of them all if that's the only thing that will keep your spending habits under control.
Credit cards are a highly convenient way to pay for many things. Even some monthly bills may be paid on them, which you need to consider if you're cancelling accounts. You will want to be sure to change how those are paid.
Your credit card usage should be limited to things you need to buy and will pay off that same billing period. Pick the best credit card you have or get a better one if you need to. Go for low interest, no annual fees and cash back.
If you can't control yourself with a credit card, use only cash. This is much harder for a lot of purchases, as you have to go to the ATM every time you run out, but if you control how much you withdraw it is much harder to overspend.
Step 4: Pick a debt to target
There are a few theories about which debt to target first. Some say to go for the lowest balance; others the highest interest rate. But whichever you choose, put any extra money you have towards payments on that debt, and do the minimum on the rest. This will allow you to rid yourself of your debts one at a time and make faster progress as you go.
Step 5: Increase your income
In many ways this is the most important step when prices are going up as they have. There's only so much you can do with the previous steps if you're stuck at the same income level, especially if it has been barely sufficient for your vital monthly expenses.
There are a few ways to do this. One of the simplest can be to ask for a raise at your current job. You'll need to show that you deserve it, of course, and depending on your job it may or may not be easy to get one.
You can also consider taking on a second job. Yes, you will lose out on free time. But sometimes that is the only way to earn enough money to get out of a pile of debt. If you're up for working in a restaurant, tips can add up quite nicely.
Step 6: Don't give up
It may take a long time to get your debts paid down if they've been a major problem for you. Depending on how you go at it, it could take years. But some people manage to pay down significant debts in a matter of months. It all depends on your own situation.
Stephanie Foster blogs at http://credit-blog.findcreditonline.com/ about using your credit wisely. Get more tips on controlling your debt at her site.
Sure seems to make it harder to manage your debts, doesn't it?
When you're already in debt and prices start spiraling upward your situation can seem just about hopeless. It's harder to pay extra on your debts when it's harder to just scrape by. The overall situation just isn't pretty. You can still work on it, however.
Step 1: Take a good look at the problem
Where do your money troubles come from? They could be a result of medical bills, job loss, poor spending habits or other reasons. You need to understand where your problem comes from and what is keeping it going if you're going to get anywhere with this.
That's doubly important, of course, if the issue is ongoing and you can do something about it. You don't want to trap yourself with guilt about your debts, but you do want to acknowledge how they happened or are continuing to happen.
Step 2: Rethink how you spend your money
Few of us are so good with money that we already know where all of it goes. There are lots of little things that really add up fast that may be a part of your problem. Or it could be regular big things that you decide to treat yourself to. Or it might just be something that you have to deal with no matter what.
Get and keep receipts for all your spending for at least a month. The more detailed the better, as little purchases can hide in some of your more practical shopping. Go over them and see where your habits are going wrong.
This can help you to target the areas that you should be cutting back on. All those trips out for coffee, for example, can really add up when you could be making coffee at home. You can even add flavors at home for far less than you would at the coffee shop.
Don't forget to consider bigger things too, of course. If you're really serious about cutting back look at things like your cable and telephone bills to see about monthly bills that could be smaller.
Step 3: Limit yourself to one credit card
But only if you can use that one card wisely. You may need to get rid of them all if that's the only thing that will keep your spending habits under control.
Credit cards are a highly convenient way to pay for many things. Even some monthly bills may be paid on them, which you need to consider if you're cancelling accounts. You will want to be sure to change how those are paid.
Your credit card usage should be limited to things you need to buy and will pay off that same billing period. Pick the best credit card you have or get a better one if you need to. Go for low interest, no annual fees and cash back.
If you can't control yourself with a credit card, use only cash. This is much harder for a lot of purchases, as you have to go to the ATM every time you run out, but if you control how much you withdraw it is much harder to overspend.
Step 4: Pick a debt to target
There are a few theories about which debt to target first. Some say to go for the lowest balance; others the highest interest rate. But whichever you choose, put any extra money you have towards payments on that debt, and do the minimum on the rest. This will allow you to rid yourself of your debts one at a time and make faster progress as you go.
Step 5: Increase your income
In many ways this is the most important step when prices are going up as they have. There's only so much you can do with the previous steps if you're stuck at the same income level, especially if it has been barely sufficient for your vital monthly expenses.
There are a few ways to do this. One of the simplest can be to ask for a raise at your current job. You'll need to show that you deserve it, of course, and depending on your job it may or may not be easy to get one.
You can also consider taking on a second job. Yes, you will lose out on free time. But sometimes that is the only way to earn enough money to get out of a pile of debt. If you're up for working in a restaurant, tips can add up quite nicely.
Step 6: Don't give up
It may take a long time to get your debts paid down if they've been a major problem for you. Depending on how you go at it, it could take years. But some people manage to pay down significant debts in a matter of months. It all depends on your own situation.
Stephanie Foster blogs at http://credit-blog.findcreditonline.com/ about using your credit wisely. Get more tips on controlling your debt at her site.
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