Every year people draw up new year resolutions that they intend to follow through.
Most often, the things we plan to achieve and attitudes or attributes we no longer find productive is highlighted the checklist of things we plan to do or to stop engaging in.
Do you really tick off your list as achieved or do you find yourself at the same point, writing down the same items the next year?
Sometimes you may even wonder how you remained at the same spot despite your efforts. And you ask yourself, is it possible to reach set goals?
The answer is yes. Even financial goals can be achieved with some effort.
What are Financial goals?
Financial goals are stated targets that are fueled by specific future needs. For example, as a mother of four lovely kids, saving to send the kids to college and a comfortable retirement are top on my financial goals.
For some, it could be to purchase much-needed machinery to facilitate business operations, an appliance, or debt reduction.
All this is possible if you put your heart to it. Try these hacks to help you reach your financial goals.
12 Hacks To Help You Reach Your Financial Goals
Seek to Make Sense of Your Current Expenses
Review your current expenditures and spending pattern to identify the things that you have been
spending money on. This will provide the big picture of what you spent your income on, and why you couldn't save more.
Draw Up a Budget
Having looked at your current spending pattern, make a list showing how you intend to spend every money you earn henceforth. The budget should be realistic enough to guide every form of spending to ensure that you hit your financial targets as you follow it strictly.
Keep A Record of Your Spending
Keep an accurate record of how much you spend daily. The sum of all your spending will help you ascertain if you are on tracks and within the limits of the budget. Plus, you will be able to identify the areas of spending that need to be addressed and immediately cut out the excess.
Put Aside Some Cash Reserve For Emergency
While emergency situations like burglary, fire outbreaks, sickness, or auto accidents are not what we pray for or except, planning for the unforeseen is necessary.
Not planning for emergency situations is a no-no.
This is because situations were never planned for may arise in the course of your day, if nothing has been set aside for these exigencies, they end up draining all your savings and prevent you from reaching your financial goals and targets.
Pay Off Your Debts
Eliminate the extra burden of bad debts and pay up all credit card debts and loans obtained from banks. This will increase your credit score and raise your credibility before financial institutions. This will come in handy when you wish to source for funds for a business project. Ultimately, you tend to breathe a sigh of relief when you know a major drawback in your finances has been taken care of.
Put A Standing Order For Your Checking Accounts
To help you save more set a standing order to move a certain amount of money from your salary account to other specified accounts like investment account, a savings account, kids back to school account, or a college savings account. This will automatically transfer the stipulated (fixed) amount to the designated account leaving you with what you can spend.
Create Other Income Streams
Side hustle to generate more income will help you reach your financial goals faster. You could do paid surveys. If you care, here are some I use that actually work, The Panel Station gives you points which you redeem as a shopping voucher. You can also try out Respondents.
Start a blog for which you may need to spend a little investment in purchasing a domain and hosting. Or for free if you opt for free hosting services like WordPress.com or blogger. Invest in gold and other futures or you could learn a new skill that will contribute to an increase in the income stream.
Do Away With Costly Habits
If you followed through with steps 1-3, you would have identified what your money is being spent on. Where you identify unnecessary financial habits that are both unhealthy and capable of sabotaging your progress like buying clothes and purses that you never get to use more than once when such monies could have contributed to you reaching your goals.
You would need to practice some discipline and refrain from such habits however hard that may be.
Avoid Taking On New Debts
As much as possible, avoid taking on new debts and getting into the same spot you worked hard to get out of in the first place. Taking on new debts means you'll need to repeat the whole circle all over.
Review Your Progress.
Knowing how well you have faired in your journey to reaching your financial goals will help you identify the grey areas and review them in your budget.
Save On The Amount You Pay For Utilities
Utilities tend to eat up much of our finances but you can save on these by changing the kind of bulbs you use to save up on energy, LED is preferable. Switch to cheaper cable services, cut down on water usage, and any other service that can be adjusted.
Take Care Of Your Health
Nothing drains finances like medical bills. So, take adequate rests and sleep properly, eat properly prepared meals, relax, and ease stress. While at it you could do what you love, read a book especially personal finance books and any other genre of books you love.
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In conclusion, reaching your financial goals is very easy if you put a heart to it. Aim for the sky and achieve the financial stability you deserve.
Great advice - I love that you included the importance of taking care of our health. I think that is SO often overlooked, and it really can cause a HUGE hit to your financial situation. Even in countries with healthcare systems in place to protect you from huge medical bills, there is the loss of productivity during your recovery, stupid mistakes that you make because you aren't 100%, etc.
ReplyDeleteSo true. Thanks for reading.
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