A Six-Point Method To Organize Your Personal Finances (bankruptcy)

September 26th, 2008 admin Posted in finance |

By Alisdair Cosgrove

With so many sources available today, you are already acquainted with a number of tips on how to reduce debt and manage your personal finances. Yet, for every decent bit of advice, you have multitudes that do not take it the next step and put them into practice. Take a few minutes and to review the following comprehensive personal finance strategy.

The first aspect of this strategy will involve spending a month or two writing down everything you use money for. By taking these weeks to consider how and why you spend money, it is possible to find a better approach to the whole mater. You can see where a majority of your income goes and how tiny expenses can pile up to become big problems. It is entirely possible that you will come to the end of this period spending less money since you have a clear picture about where the money is going. Afterwards, you should organize all of these expenses, labeling them according to categories like “bills,” “entertainment,” “dining,” etc.

When every expense is properly categorized, you should start looking for ways to reduce spending in these areas if you haven’t done so already. Obviously, you might have to do without certain creature comforts and decide so based on the impact it will have on your personal finances.

When you have consistently reduced your spending, you will start to see results in the form of extra money with no place to go. Don’t just blow this money; decide to put it towards reducing your various debts. Remember that it is best to start by paying on those debt sources with the highest interest rates}. You must use that extra cash to deal with these debts first. If you make a good effort here, you will be able to live a decent life on far less money that you ever thought possible while lowering your debt as well.

Even as you work hard to lower your expense, you will want to find more ways to make extra money. Remember that a supplemental source of income will come in different forms because no one’s circumstances are the same. Often, this will mean seeking more hours at work or overtime, asking for a raise, or looking for better employment. You should consider what assets you have such as skills, contacts, knowledge, or materials. Above all be creative; the sky’s the limit and there are more opportunities than you might realize.

You will soon find that it is necessary to pay using cash only in order to make this plan worth the best. You will be able to secure things at better and more affordable prices. Best of all, you won’t be stuck paying hefty interest rates. By using cash exclusively, you are also deciding that you can wait until you have sufficient funds to buy particular items. This takes patience. Also, remember that a major point of this step is to minimize the use of credit cards, only making purchases when you will have the means to pay it off during the same billing cycle.

When you can say that the expenses are ordered, the debts are under control, and you have some extra cash flowing in, you should definitely be ahead income-wise. You should be ready to consider investment options. It might be a savings account with high interest earning potential or it might be starting a new business.

Nothing mentioned in this method are new. They are basis approaches to financial improvement. If you take this method and employ it in your life, it is possible to achieve significant results and have a more secure future.

Alisdair Cosgrove has been writing personal finance articles for many years and can find more of his work at the UK site TheMoneyStop.co.uk, offering balance transfers along with great high interest savings accounts and also pet insurance. Visit today to find a great deal or read one more of Alsidair’s great articles.

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