Most of us aren’t that vigilant and efficient when it comes to managing our finances. There comes a time in everyone’s life where our financial situation seems either too static or going down the hill. There simply isn’t enough in your savings account. You’re always spending more every month than you’re earning, and your debt load is a complete disappointment.
We are all faced with such issues at some point, but if you change a few habits and learn to take control of your spending, you can easily accumulate enough green stuff to be comfortable. But wouldn’t it be nice to have some authentic advice and tips from experts who have been in your shoes? Well, you said it, and we have it! Let’s dive deep into the following invaluable financial tips from some of the most famous money gurus.
1. Never Stop Learning
If there is anything that financial gurus offer unanimous stress on is to educate oneself. That’s right, the books they write are there to first help you learn about personal finance and investment and then implementing what you learn into real life.
According to the CEO and president of Francis Financial, NY, Stacy Francis, she experienced in her childhood the disadvantages of women not being empowered through financial education. She took her mother’s advice of being independent no matter what and drove herself into the finance field by changing her major in college.
If your goal is to be financially stable or make a name for yourself in the business world, then familiarize yourself with the field. Even if you majored in something else, you could still learn through other means, such as pursuing an online masters in accounting. Top finance gurus from Trent Hamm to Suze Orman encourage people to start with knowing something about finance to gain financial control.
2. Track Your Expenses
The worse mistake that pushes down people into the spiral of unbalanced finances is not to track their expenses. According to the CIO, co-founder, and president of Lassus Wherley, NJ, it is important to understand where your money is coming from and where you are spending it. It really allows you to take control of your expenses if you are making unnecessary ones. The habit of tracking your expenses also pushes you towards initiating an effecting savings program for yourself.
You never stop to calculate how much you are paying each month for these specific purchases. But if you do, then you’ll have a real idea about why your expenses are out of control. We get it, tracking expenses is time-consuming, but if you don’t know how much you are spending on discretionary expenses, you’ll never save enough.
3. Try Conscious Spending Instead Of Budgeting
Almost every money-management blog and personal-finance-related article will tell you that budgeting is the plane that will take you to money-land. But is it really practical? How often budgeting helps people in gaining financial control?
According to personal finance coach Ramit Sethi, budgeting is pointless, and there is a better way to save money, and it’s called conscious spending. He further adds that a budget may not necessarily stop you from spending because the budget tracks what has been spent. So, you have nothing but guilt when you look back, but what helps is a strategy he calls conscious spending, where you split your income into four categories (fixed costs, saving goals, guilt-free spending money, and investments).
Your investment account will typically consist of your taxable investment accounts, 401(k), and other options, which make up to 10% of your total income. At the same time, fixed costs will require up to half or 60% of your total income, while 20 to 35% go to guilt-free spending and up to 10% to saving goals such as down payment, etc.
4. The Right Investment Is The Key
Notable names like Dave Ramsey, who went through a financial crisis themselves, understand the importance of gaining financial freedom in the right way. He says that not everyone is ready to directly jump into investing but should first gain balance and order in personal finances. The likes of Miranda Marquit, the person behind the website that focuses on saving money called plantingmoneyseeds.com, will set you on the right track of investing in stocks if you are a newbie.
Why do these finance gurus stress over savings and investments? That’s because investing your money can help achieve your life goals, increase your total income over time, and support your retirement plan. Take advice from another investing expert, William Bernstein, who offers a simple yet effective way of retiring as a millionaire. His method is simple, save about 15% of your total income and invest it in a simple portfolio, and voila!
Almost every person suffers from a form of financial instability, but it doesn’t have to stay that way. Follow the above simple tips from experts and finance gurus who have made a fortune for themselves and gain control and set yourself on the right track.
Shift Frequency © 2021 – Expert Financial Tips from The Gurus