How to manage money

Most people, to one degree or another, regularly experience financial problems, attributing this to external reasons - higher prices, low wages and increased costs. All this takes place, however, there is another side of the coin, unreasonable waste of funds and the inability to competently regulate their needs in accordance with the possibilities. There is always a way out, and if you wish, you can learn not only to save, but also to strengthen your material well-being.

How to properly manage your money

We always wonder why people with approximately the same level of financial income can live completely differently - some provide their families with a decent standard of living, while having some cash savings, while others constantly live from paycheck to paycheck, get into debt and loans and complain about employer and the crisis in the country. The answer is simple - financial illiteracy leads to the fact that the majority have no idea how to manage their money.

Abroad, special trainings and assistance from financial consultants are very popular, who tell how control income and expenses... In our country, such a practice began to appear only recently, but not everyone is ready to shell out a certain amount of money, it is much easier to use Internet services that teach how to plan a personal and family budget.

The most popular problem for the vast majority of families is the lack of proper control over expenses, because everyone wants to live, as they say, on a grand scale, without thinking about tomorrow. People spend everything that they have earned, and sometimes more, that is, they shoulder the burden of debts and loans. Thus, a financial hole arises, the spouses make serious acquisitions immediately after receiving the main income, without planning the budget in advance, so by the middle or the end of the month they have to seriously save, refuse everything they need, or even worse - use the help of relatives, friends, a credit card. All this aggravates the situation, it is simply impossible to keep all the items of expenditure in your head, full-fledged home bookkeeping is necessary, it will help to take into account profits and optimize expenses.

The massive introduction of the idea that it is possible and necessary to live in debt has led to the fact that most of the population is in a financial hole and depends on bank loans and credit cards, the use of which leads to huge overpayments. Of course, there are also lucrative offers from some organizations or force majeure situations, but most often families are guided solely by their desire to have everything at once, gaining dozens of loans over and over again.

Elementary rules will help you manage finances competently:

• Never overpay for a product, having studied the pricing policy in advance.
• Feel free to take advantage of discounts, promotions and bonuses. This is your money, if there is an opportunity to save it, then why not? Learn to bargain in the markets.
• Buy only those things that you can afford to buy at the moment. Plan costs for the essentials, leaving expensive items or services for last.
• Control your emotions, do not succumb to inviting advertisements and promises of interest-free installments.
• Buy what you came to the store for and do not make spontaneous purchases.
• Wholesale is always cheaper. Some goods are more profitable to purchase in bulk.
• Do not chase after fashion and do not get fooled by the opinion of friends and colleagues, this is what advertising is designed for.
• Prices depend a lot on seasonality, for example, fresh fruits and vegetables are always cheaper in season, and clothes are sold at the end of the season at bargain prices.

Competent implementation of all the rules will allow you to save a lot, and postpone your savings in case of a critical situation, make a profitable investment or make a major purchase.

What to do if there is not enough money

To forget about the catastrophic lack of money once and for all, it is enough to follow three simple steps. Even control over one of these principles will allow you to get rid of debt and move to a higher level of material well-being, but if your goal is not only to preserve earned money, but also to increase capital, you should take all three tips seriously.

Spend only real money

Living within your means is quite simple, the question is whether you will feel comfortable in this situation if you are already used to a beautiful life. Moderating your ambitions and tightening your belt is what you should work on first of all, after which you can be puzzled by the question of how to earn more and satisfy all your needs.

Many people use the 4-envelope rule for home bookkeeping. It consists in dividing the entire monthly budget into several parts. First, we separate the finances intended for mandatory payments from the total amount (rent, kindergarten, debts and loans, etc.), then we set aside the part that will make up the financial pillow, the rest of the money is divided into 4 equal parts, they are spent within a week ...

Such a financial approach does not at all mean that you will deprive yourself of everything, but there is an opportunity to learn to look into the future and plan large purchases in advance, without getting into credit bondage. An important nuance - try to teach the elementary rules of spending to your children, so it will be easier for them to navigate the adult world.

Provide yourself with extra income

The second principle of improving your own well-being is not only to reduce expenses, but also to increase income. Here are some real-world ways to get things done:

• Look for a part-time job, the main thing is that this is not to the detriment of the main place of professional activity, otherwise, in a crisis, a part-time job may become a reason for dismissal. When considering vacancies, pay attention to the prospects that your employer guarantees you.
• If you have a vacant apartment or empty living space, this automatically becomes another option for additional income. For example, only two people live in your spacious three-ruble note, why not rent free rooms to students at least for the duration of the financial hole or move a close relative to you and pay utility bills, and use the vacated housing as a source of funds.
• Happy owners of their own garage or other outbuildings with communications can convert and use them as rental housing.
• Turn your favorite hobby or profession in demand into a small but stable source of income. It doesn't matter what, you know how: knit beautiful sweaters, do high-quality homework or communicate with children - all this will come in handy when the issue of lack of money is really acute.
• The Internet is an opportunity to find dozens of options for additional income, from website creation to network business with minimal investment.

How to live frugally

The third rule is, of course, the ability to rationally spend profits, not allowing yourself ill-considered expenses. A large item of expenditure for any family is food, household goods and clothing. How to save buying them not to the detriment of health?

• Before you go shopping, make lists and follow them steadily. If you suddenly have a strong desire to buy something that is not in it, postpone the purchase until the next day. Perhaps tomorrow you will understand that you were guided only by emotions and you do not need the product.
• Plan your menu for the week. Write down the ingredients you need to buy, as well as drinks, snacks, and sweets, so you know how much of your household budget is food.
• Having compiled a list, you will roughly decide on the amount that you need to take to the store, you should not significantly increase the limit, and also take a credit card.
• Do not go to the store hungry, so as not to buy something extra, usually tasty, but harmful.
• Some things, such as underwear, socks, cosmetics or toys and even household appliances, can be purchased through an online store, joint purchases or wholesalers, which will save you time and money.
• If you live in a private house with a backyard, it would be more logical to grow vegetables and herbs on it, and not buy in stores and markets, while expensive pickles and jam will be on your table all year round.
• Save on "chemicals", some advertised dishwashing detergents, liquid soap, toilet paper are not much different from their cheaper counterparts.
• For a while, give up going to restaurants or coffee shops, in the end, you can easily cook the same at home.