Not having good financial health contributes negatively to physical and mental well-being. Economic problems can cause the onset of some disorders such as increased blood pressure, sleep problems, depression, and obesity.
According to an April 2020 study by the National Endowment For Financial Education (NEFE), nearly nine out of ten of the 4,000 U.S. citizens experience stress about their personal finances. Insufficient savings, not having a financial cushion, retirement, inability to pay bills, expenses, etc… are some of the main factors of concern.
To avoid financial stress and other disturbances, it is essential to have a good relationship with our finances, improve them and prevent them from becoming a problem for our health. For this reason, below we would like to recommend 28 keys extracted from the BBVA financial education blog, in order to have good management of our finances.
28 KEYS TO IMPROVING OUR FINANCES
1. Define financial goals
Establish what you want to achieve with your money and whether it is short, medium or long term.
2. Identify the total of our income
Value money by paying attention to the time you spend and the effort you need to get it.
3. Make a list of all our expenses
It helps to realize how much and on what we spend money.
4. Divide our expenses into fixed and variable
The fixed ones are the necessary ones (rent, supplies, etc.). Variables are related to lifestyle.
5. Plan how to reduce fixed expenses
Try to spend less on rent, electricity, water, food or gas. Look at other companies and rates.
6. Plan how to reduce or eliminate variable expenses
Keep those that contribute positively to our lives and eliminate those that do not.
7. Analyze at the end of the month whether there is a positive balance sheet
To be positive, expenses must be equal to or less than total income.
8. Prioritizing our total expenses
Of all expenses, create a list of priorities from highest to lowest so you know what to pay first and what to pay later.
9. Make a monthly budget related to our objectives
The budget to achieve a goal allows tracing the precise path to achieve it.
10. Set our limits and be realistic
If there are unnecessary expenses that are out of our budget, recognize that we cannot afford them.
11. Create an emergency mattress
Because an unforeseen event can cause serious problems in our economy.
12. Identify our debts
Write down all our debts and visualize them together to become aware of them.
13. Prioritizing our debts
Either by the date by which they are due, interest, consequences, etc.
14. Not getting into debt to cover other debts
Acquiring new debts to cover the ones we already have is not the best solution.
15. Do not over-indebt
Keep debts under control, trying not to get into debt beyond what we can afford.
16. Avoiding excesses
Finding a balance is the key: no overspending or over-indebtedness.
17. Be careful with ant expenses
Keep an eye on those small expenses that add up at the end of the month. Identifying them in order to eliminate them is essential.
18. Avoid impulse buying
Those purchases that we finally realize that they are not necessary and that has an impact on our pocket.
19. Distinguish between necessity and whim
Avoiding going over budget is one way to avoid unnecessary purchases.
20. Planning purchases
If before going shopping we write down what we need, we will avoid going beyond what is essential.
21. Trying to do it ourselves
We can avoid spending on everything we can do on our own, such as small home repairs.
22. Listen and share financial strategies
Talk to people around us about their tricks to save, compare supply companies, etc.
23. Pay taxes and fines when due
In this way, we will avoid surcharges that can end up doubling the initial total price.
24. Save if we can
Sometimes it is difficult to save if our salary is low, but it is important to keep in mind the monthly savings, no matter how small they may be.
25. Invest if we can
It is a possibility, which must be studied carefully, to make our money grow.
26. Learning about financial education
There are books, videos on the Internet, and different channels that allow us to constantly learn about personal finance.
27. Taking care of ourselves
Taking care of our physical and mental health is an indirect way of taking care of our financial health, and vice versa.
28. Empower our talent
Learning and working in what we are good at can be an opportunity to use our talents to generate profits.