Have you been keeping an eye out on the housing market? What about the auto industry? Well before you can purchase your first home or a brand new car, taking control and understanding your debt is needed. The journey of reaching your next financial goal may sound like a daunting task, but having the understanding of what it will take to reach those goals is the mindset to strive for. Through then, you can create short term goals which will assist with building up to the overall financial goal.
In order to be properly set for the financial path forward, there are a few initial organizational concepts that need to be accounted for first.
Understanding Your Monthly Income
Do you know the difference between net pay and gross pay? Net pay is the amount you take home AFTER pay roll deductions and tax with holdings have been made. Gross pay is the amount that is shown BEFORE tax deductions like state tax, federal tax and social security.
The number to be aware of is your net pay. As the amount of money you are actually taking home is known and acknowledged, you can create a budget from a true dollar amount and track accurate financial habits.
Understanding and Cutting Your Spending Habits
Are you aware of any habits that add a burden to your wallet? When it comes to finding where you can save money, coffee is a common expense people adjust first. You don’t have to cut coffee completely, but you can easily save by making coffee from home. Purchasing coffee from your favorite café is costly compared to a home brewed pot which could even save you time, eliminate transportation costs and reduce the cost of coffee itself.
Gym passes are also a typical expense that could be adjusted to aggressively save. There may be a numerous amount of reasons for a gym pass, yet there is an equal amount of alternatives that could be implemented in order to save. Switching to a home workout and using online videos and blogs can provide structure to your workout all while saving again, on transportation costs, time and of course, gym fees.
These are both conceptual ideas that could translate to other aspects of monthly expenses, in order to start cutting your spending habits.
Understanding Your Saving Habits
Now that you understand your spending, you can focus on your savings habits and take advantage of different accounts that pay dividends at better rates than traditional big banks. Your typical savings account at a big bank does not offer the same interest rates as a credit union, so it’s often advised to open either a Share Certificate Account or Money Market Account to maximize your monthly savings through dividends.
Understanding How to Move Forward
Everyone’s financial situation is different and some situations require to pay debt down aggressively, with a small consistent stream going into savings. It is recommended to do both collectively even if the monthly deposited savings amount is small. As a member of SafeAmerica Credit Union you have numerous resources readily available to help keep you, financially on track. Being financially healthy is a goal in and of itself and allows the path to financial milestones to present themselves. Keeping to strict saving and spending habits allows you to keep debt down and reach your financial goals.
Learn how you can use a Share Certificate to your advantage as well as the liquidity of a Money Market below.
