are there any tips on how to organize my finances.. please help... i make enough and don't overspend, but it's frustrating because everytime i think there's money in the bank, something else pops up!
2007-08-23 09:32:14 · 5 answers · asked by colombiana82 1 in Business & Finance ➔ Personal Finance
"obviously it's like it's still not enough"
Well, obviously it is, you just don't know how to manage your money.
You survived before without the raise. It's simple really. Act like you NEVER got it in the first place, put the difference between your old pay and your new pay in the bank/retirement account.
Learn to budget with what you were working with.
Cook at home, limit yourself to going out to only a few times a week. Get books from the library. Take public transportation more, or walk, to save on gas. Clip coupons and look for rebates online before you buy things. Turn off the lights in your house whenever you leave a room. Also unplug things(it still uses up trace amounts of electricity). Take "navy" showers (get wet, turn of water, soap up, rinse off). Don't run water when you're brushing your teeth. Buy clothes on a discount and take care of them. Use all your usable products until they literally run out. When Shampoo, Conditioner, or Soap bottles are half empty, refill the empty space with water (they mostly are that anyway).
I know this one is sprouted very often but try to find the hidden cost-that daily lunch at work? frap? magazine? and get rid of it.
These little things sound stupid to do? Well it also sounds stupid not to do them when you're as tight on cash as you are.
2007-08-23 09:51:00 · answer #1 · answered by mirrorinthesky 3 · 1⤊ 0⤋
What is OBVIOUS is that you are letting your finances control you instead of controlling them. You MUST putt yourself on a written budget. I am willing to bet you have NO idea how you are spending most of your money. You would probably spent significantly less if you simply THOUGHT about it.
Write your income for the month at the top of a sheet of paper. List where every penny will go and keep a running total. When you get to zero, you have your budget for the month. Treat that paper as a legally binding contract. You are not allowed to spend ANYTHING that is not on the paper. If necessary, SIT DOWN and revise the budget BEFORE spending anything else. This forces you to PAY ATTENTION.
2007-08-23 18:51:59 · answer #2 · answered by STEVEN F 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
One suggestion I have is to look at your local paper and see if they have "money makeover" stories that run in their finance sections. If they do, you might want to apply to be one of the people who get one because they are always looking for people. I did it when I first lost my job because I had all sorts of questions about how to make it work. It helped.
2007-08-23 16:52:59 · answer #3 · answered by thebuffettour 2 · 0⤊ 1⤋
You MUST have the savings account for those unexpected expenses .
Set aside a minimum of 10% BEFORE you start your other spending .
You should have a bare minimum of 2 months living expenses in savings at all times .
( for true emegencies like lay offs or car crash etc )
>
2007-08-23 16:53:30 · answer #4 · answered by kate 7 · 0⤊ 1⤋
Have you tried hooking? My girlfriend and I were having financial problems and it's amazing what guys will pay for... even from ugly girls.
2007-08-23 16:37:02 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 2⤊ 1⤋