6 Simple Money Habits that prepare you for LIFE.

Calculate your Net Income

This number ultimately determines what you can  spend each month.

Outline your Financial Goals and Concerns

Acknowledging concerns are just as important as  writing down your dreams and goals. Add timelines and monetary figures to each goal or concern where you can. It will allow you to be more effective with the next step. Working with a Personal Wealth or Financial Advisor can help make you accountable.

Pre- Allocate Cash Flow

This is your roadmap for allocating expenses according to priorities, goals and concerns (if you allocated timelines and values to your goals, this exercise will be more fruitful). You'll have a clear indication of what you need to do, to live within the limits of your income. This is also where you can control what you’re going to have tomorrow as will know and be able to make a habit of setting aside money for future needs and goals. "Reverse engineer it", Nic my C.F.O. would always say, "Cost out what you want and when, work out what you need to save in that timeframe. Not realistic? Earn more, delay or reduce non-essential spending."

Separate essential from non-essential expenses by asking yourself if each expense is a “want” or a “need”. Non-essentials help you immediately recognise what you can delay should you want to achieve a certain financial goal sooner.

When you’ve done your cash flow allocation, commit to it so you can control your money rather than let your money control you. Try a budget planner application. There are plenty out there.

Avoid Credit Temptation

Recognise that Credit Cards are only for emergencies. Credit card debt is an easy trap to fall into. Even better…avoid this trap by Transform Credit Cards to Debit Cards. This forces you to save a buffer so that you spend what you have. You pay enough taxes, why add high credit card interest rates on top of that? Imagine, you may pay 30% tax plus another 12% interest? Don’t torture yourself.

Eliminate Costly Debts first

That could be Credit Cards if you have any, then the non-tax debt like home or personal debts, before getting to investment debts. Investment debts in most  cases  give you a tax deduction, so it’s okay to leave that till the other debts are wiped out.

Security and Happiness Pot

Savings must be a habit. Pay this pot first because it is such a relief to know that when emergencies arise you can be covered. Or if you feel you deserve that much needed break, you can scoot off for the weekend without having to return to a credit card bill you have to face for the rest of the year and not forgetting what you’re forgoing to make repayments.

Following the basic fundamentals above will enable you to handle money efficiently through life, as your income rises. Heard of people who no matter how  much they earn, still find they do not have enough? You won’t have that challenge. Get the fundamentals right, then the next step can be about achieving your financial goals even sooner with Investment Strategies. No investment strategy can work effectively unless you perfect the basics.