Danger ahead: How to spot financial woes before it's too late
Posted By: Matt in Saving on 10/26/2018 at 10:44:42
What often makes managing money so difficult is ignorance, that ability you have to ignore just how bad things are yet still talk yourself into a better place and assume that tomorrow will be better.
But how can tomorrow look any different than today if you don't change the status quo, namely what you're current doing to manage money· The reason you don't change or don't recognize that a problem exists is because you can't spot financial woes before it's too late.
You've actually conditioned yourself to ignore just how bad things are, and changing that mentality is the difference from being in financial peril to crawling out of debt and starting to save properly.
Knowing how bad things are starts with acceptance and paying attention to your day to day money habits but also how you're managing (or lack thereof) your money specifically.
For starters, if you notice that you're using credit cards quite a bit or your money is running out to the point that every month you're borrowing from either creditors or even family or friends, then your budget needs serious work. The budgeting part is so crucial in understanding where you are and ultimately fixing it.
A good budget takes into account that your expenses shouldn't overtake your income and thus leave you with some money in the free and clear. Being at a deficiency means you're either not properly budgeting or you don't have a budget to speak of at this moment.
Along with having to borrow, you also find yourself with another huge red flag that constantly waves in front of your face: you live from one paycheck to the next, and that simply means that you have zero ability to save money, even if you wanted to. Living from one paycheck to the next means your budget is at maximum level and needs to be paired down so that the income is clear cut ahead of the expenses.
For some, this is commonplace and really isn't seen as an issue but rather it is blamed on the "economy" or just shrugging off that it's hard to live within your means when you have expenses that can't be avoided.
The reality is expenses can be controlled and while that exercise isn't always pleasant, because no one likes to cut things out that they enjoy or want to buy and enjoy, you must take into consideration having zero dollars set aside for an emergency.
Being self-aware is second only to truly accepting where you are money wise. If you don't make enough to support how you live, change it. Between that blanket statement and the other aforementioned tell-tale signs, you should be well aware if a financial fracture is personally awaiting you.
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