How to effectively manage your finances (financial stewardship)

The topic, how to effectively manage your finances (financial stewardship)  is important, and it will help anyone who struggles to make good financial decisions.

To be a good financial steward or one who knows how to better manage and maximize their finance, it is crucial to pay attention to how much comes in and how much goes out.

It’s normal to have unplanned expenses but that should not be a criterion for not having any form of savings or investments. Managing your finances all depends on your income, expenses, living requirements, individual goals and desires, and also coming up with a plan to fulfill those needs within your financial constraints.

To make the most of your income and savings it is important to be financially literate as this will help you distinguish between good and bad advice when it comes to managing your finances.

Here are five tips below for how to effectively manage your finances (financial stewardship).

• Draw up a budget

The first step on how to effectively manage your finances is to draw up a budget. A budget will help you stick to what you’re meant to spend so that you don’t overspend. There will definitely be emergencies, but emergencies don’t happen often so there should be no excuse to go beyond your budget too often.

• Create an emergency fund

Another way to manage your finances and stick to a budget is to have a separate saving that remains untouched. The untouched funds should be your emergency fund because emergencies can happen such as hospital bills, urgent bills, etc. It may be hard to avoid touching your emergency fund, but you must make up your mind to be disciplined enough and resist the urge to spend.

• Don’t spend more than you earn

The saying “cut your coat according to your size” applies here. It is financially irresponsible to actually live above your means or try to live above what you can afford. You will only end up incurring debts when you spend recklessly. Always look at how much you earn before spending and avoid impulse buying.

• Plan and save for the future

Everyone has one goal or the other they hope to achieve in the future, but the honest truth is that you can’t achieve it without having a plan at least. If you want to get a house, buy a car, have funding for your children’s education etc. then you must be willing to make some sacrifices and save towards your goals. Based on how much you receive, make a firm decision to take out some amount as the money comes to keep in a fixed deposit account for the future.

Consequently, invest the savings to get more money to achieve your goals. Ensure that you carry out proper research before investing in any business.

• Pay off your debts

The worst thing you can do is incure debts when you intend to manage your finances effectively. Do your best to be debt free so that you can focus on your goals ahead.  Don’t live life using the money you earn to keep paying off debts.

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