Savings Dos and Don’ts

This article covers the most important lesson you’ll learn about saving and how it will show you what to do and what not to do. The most typical source of startup funding is individual savings. I’ll provide you with tips on how to maximize your funds. 

Minutes to Read: 10 minutes

Everyone aspires to work more efficiently, quickly, and effectively and becoming a better saver leads to many opportunities in life for your later years. But some could hinder your growth.

Here are Do’s and Don’ts to help make your savings the most valuable commodity

Do’s

1. Always have a purpose in mind when saving.

Yes, these are the first do’s. We have to have a goal in mind whenever we want to save. You already have a list of what you want to buy. If you don’t have a plan, you don’t have a target. What is the essence of your savings if there’s no target to reach?

 

2. Save at least ten percent (10%) of your salary.

Financial planners say that 10% is the last thing you should set aside at the beginning of the month before you start spending. Little by little, your money accumulates, and it will be a successful saving. Just don’t give up on it. You prioritize your savings before anything else.

 

3. Automate Your Savings.

Paying your rent, credit card bill, grocery bill, and other related expenses contribute to your living cost. Finding extra money to set aside for the future might be challenging. By establishing an automatic savings plan at your bank, you can eliminate the confusion regarding the amount of money you might be able to set aside. You can send a certain amount of incoming Money each month—typically from your paycheck—into a different savings account. It’s simple and automated, and by the end of the year, you’ll have hundreds or even thousands of pesos more saved than you would have had the Money sitting in your checking account.

 

4. Make a Budget. 

List every source of income you currently have, including your primary employment, side jobs, social security benefits, and child’s education support. Then include your set monthly expenses, such as rent, a car lease, and school tuitions, as well as your variable monthly expenses, such as groceries, gas, utility bills, and so on. You utilize too many resources and incur unauthorized costs and fees on your utility bills every month. Try to determine how much you typically spend on these variable costs. You can easily alter these projections later if necessary.

 

5. Manage your debt. 

Loans are obtainable, and you can borrow money anywhere and from anyone. It stimulates spending and, if not handled wisely, can lead to debt traps. It would be best if you avoid loans for discretionary expenses. If you must borrow money, be sure your monthly installments do not equal more than 20% of your salary. 

 

6. Invest in the future. 

Saving provides a cushion for unexpected events while investing is necessary to achieve long-term financial objectives. Allot some of your savings in savings accounts to invest. When you have enough money for emergencies, you may start investing in profitable financial products to increase your wealth.

 

7. Look for a high savings rate. 

It’s a brilliant idea to open a high-yield savings account (here is the forthcoming article for the high-yield bank in the Philippines) at an online bank.

 

8. Educate Children About Money.

Parents frequently teach their children their first lessons about money, so it is vital to consider what they teach them at home. Discussions on how to spend, save, invest, and give can help put daily financial decisions in perspective. Any age is a good time to teach your children about money. If you’re unsure how to talk to your child about money, do some research. There are age-appropriate money talk guides available online. Additionally, set an example for your kids by making wise financial decisions.

 

9. Think about a side business. 

Combining part-time and full-time employment can increase your finances because it reduces your vulnerability if you lose your prime career. It can also make it possible to increase savings or debt repayment. Many individuals believe that increasing income is the best method to increase savings. Finding new employment possibilities, however, could be difficult for the time being, given the recent economic destruction brought on by COVID-19, with many businesses either temporarily closing or not hiring. Fortunately, that doesn’t imply you should abandon your financial objectives. Even though the economy is now in a storm, there are many small methods to save costs and develop wise financial practices that can help you increase your savings today.

 

10. Learn from money mistakes. 

When you’re learning how to manage money, it’s simple to make costly errors like acquiring debt or going on a spending binge. Making better decisions in the future is possible through learning from your past mistakes. Your garbage and recycling expenditures are probably not something you give much thought to, so completing an inventory is the ideal way to address this area of overspending. You consider what can be used again before spending more money on it.

 

11. Reduce your restaurant expenses. 

We love eating outside, of course. However, Since eating out is generally more expensive than cooking at home, cutting back on restaurant meals is one of the ways to increase your savings.

 

12. Lower electric consumption. 

You can save hundreds a year on your electric bill by making significant and tiny changes to how you use energy.

 

13. Reduce your gas consumption since we mention electricity and food, the everyday consumption of humanity. Take a bicycle to work. Biking to work lets you accomplish several goals at once. You commit to your fitness resolution, save money on petrol, and help the environment all at once.

 

14. Monitor your spending. 

You might think this is unnecessary, but then we have from above that we tend to ignore minor details. We can’t track where your money went. That’s one on what not to do.

 

15. Reject any excess subscriptions. We tend to subscribe easily to some websites or newsletters. It leaks into your budget, so stop. Numerous platforms and apps exist that can help you save more money in some way. Though these charges usually are tiny, they may mount up quickly, so if your savings overload itself with too many subscriptions, the costs can become unbelievable. Each app probably comes with a monthly subscription, charged automatically to your account.

 

16. Get ready for a grocery trip. 

But you got this. Of course, you need not starve yourself to save money. Even if you have an excellent, unique list of groceries, you can discover the most necessary items to purchase and reduce those expenses and overspending if you’re prepared to change your behaviors.

The subject of money can be intimidating. Because of this, some people ignore practical information and learning values on saving money. Unfortunately, these individuals will never be able to accumulate the desired riches. Why? 

 

 

The Don’ts

1. Don’t spend more than you earn

Making a budget doesn’t have to be complicated. Understanding if your costs align with your income is the first step in creating a budget. It’s an excellent method to monitor how much money you bring in and out. If you don’t keep detailed records of your expenses,  it is simple to waste all of your income even before the month is over. 

 

2. Attempt to Surpass Others

Financial comparisons are destructive and are very common—jealousy of friends or neighbors who can afford new things, like cars and houses. You guys are different, you might owe more money, and they have more capability to spend stuff because they have a budget goal. To ensure that they save enough money to pay the remaining amount guilt-free and worry-free.

 

3. Ignoring Unexpected Events. 

Daily emergencies occur; therefore, being ready for unforeseen events in life is crucial.  Remember that an emergency fund is not for whims or luxuries.  Just when you need it most, it is there. It is best to choose what match you and your lifestyle rather than allocating a specific cash figure to what constitutes a suitable emergency fund.

 

4. Ignoring the Minor Details.

It might be the occasional 90 pesos milk tea. These little expenditures pile up quickly. Consider this: Php90 a day for milk tea equals 450 during a five-days. You would be underreporting your annual spending by Php32,850. Why not make your milk tea? It aids in the discovery of your taste preferences. Making your milk tea that you enjoy helps you save money over time.

Did you know? Intense emotional responses to money might result in poor judgments, such as delaying payments or overspending. Do you notice that? When you’re under pressure or your desire is more potent than your discipline in money, you tend to buy various things. Which, then, you regret spending later. We all feel that, primarily material things. 

 

5 Never purchase anything when you are upset.

Emotional spending can be quite deceiving. Even though your conscious wants to save, you tend to buy the stuff you don’t need when you become emotionally affected. For example:

You are mentally stressed. You tend to stress buying. You have this thought that you want to shake this feeling of stress and pour it into buying. That’s a no-no.

 

6. Not Having Health Insurance. 

The medical bill is one of the main reasons for bankruptcy in many nations, including the Philippines. You can do many things to keep yourself healthy, and there is always a chance of a medical emergency. Even if the cost of treating diarrhea may only be a minor portion of your overall hospital costs, having insurance is always helpful. Furthermore, rest easy knowing that you won’t face financial difficulties in the event of any unfortunate mishaps.

 

7. Exercise Is Good For You.

One of the most important things to save money is to take care of yourself. You can’t deliver your best work while you’re exhausted and unmotivated, and your income won’t rise. You cannot tell when you might need to make unplanned inflation that is unpleasant and pricey. Drinking water can indeed help you save money. Consider the drinks you buy during the day; it is expensive and not the best course of action.

 

Since we can’t manipulate time, we’ll add these 5  to the list.

1. Tenacity. Everyone that entered the saving industry from the bottom had the perseverance and guts to stick with it, develop, and advance. 
2. Vision. You won’t be able to realize your dream if you can’t see it. The people who become successful in life picture themselves as they would like to be. For instance, you see yourself as a pilot. You want to know how much it would cost you or your family for you to achieve your dream. 
3. Confidence. You won’t succeed if you don’t think you can. It would help if you had faith to push your vision and persuasion through the challenging days.
4. Optimism. Everybody who has achieved great success has also encountered setbacks. The distinction is that they refused to let one slip-up define them or their careers. They believed they were on the right track and continued to move forward. A pessimist is quite unlikely to become very wealthy. It won’t simply happen because they don’t think it will.
5. Passion. No matter your financial condition, you won’t get wealthy if you don’t enjoy what you do. The possibilities in the financial world are endless if you have a strong passion for people and care about them.

Sometimes these mistakes result from the need for financial literacy. Even if you overspend, pile up debt, and damage your credit, you can almost always get your finances back on track. It starts with forgiving yourself and taking time to reflect on your mistakes. And once we have our children, we can teach them all the lessons we want to learn so they don’t repeat our mistakes. 

 

Then, we have some of the reasons why it’s necessary to save money. You feel more at ease knowing that you have a certain amount saved for emergencies. Knowing that you won’t have to suffer if things take an unexpected turn allows you to live a life free of stress. Your savings may be the key to achieving a lot of your objectives. You can purchase a home, save money for retirement, or get a car. You can live a very fulfilling life while securing your future and enjoying the best life offers.

 

If you periodically review your spending and point out problematic overspending areas before it gets out of control, your firm will be in a much better position. Make sure you have all the necessary monitoring systems by working with your family and financial team.

 

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