It’s that time of the month when most of us are either already paid or about to get paid. There’s nothing as exciting finally having some money in your account. The struggle to make ends meet is finally over and if you had to borrow to make it through the month, you can now settle those debts. Reality is though, most of us will be broke by or before mid-next month. The vicious cycle of struggling to make ends meet repeats itself and you soon find yourself looking foreword to the end of that month.
How can you avoid this; how can you make ends meet with what we earn; how can you pull through the month without having to borrow? That’s my area of focus today.
Below are three simple steps you can follow to make the most from your salary, pull through and have a debt free month.
Avoid lifestyle inflation: The biggest mistake most of us make, after we get paid, is falling victim to lifestyle inflation. Have you noticed how traffic gets crazy during end month, or how night clubs or bar’s get full during the end month? Guys have just been paid and are spending exorbitant. A week or two after pay day, they will be broke again, unable to fuel their cars thus traffic will reduce. The struggle to make ends meet repeats itself.
This is what I believe, if you cannot maintain that car throughout the month, you can’t afford it, get rid of it. What you earn supports a certain lifestyle, if you try to live beyond that lifestyle you will definitely get broke before end month. Be smart, don’t fall victim to lifestyle inflation.
Click here to read more on lifestyle inflation.
Budget What You’ve earned: “We must consult our means rather than our wishes,” – George Washington
Living without a budget is equal to spending blindly. Since you had not budgeted your income, any expenditure that rises gain’s priority. You will find yourself visiting the ATM countless times and before its mid-month, you are broke again.
In as much as a budget won’t stop you from spending, it will remind you of what you cannot afford. Get a pen and paper and budget your income. Begin by allocating money to settle your rent and pending bills. Secondly, allocate money to you’re monthly recurring expenditures, these include: your transportation costs and phones’ airtime. Third, try to settle those debts, if not in whole then partly. Fourth, if you don’t have debts, keep aside some money for any emergencies. Lastly, budget for your entertainment expenses, no matter what its important to have fun.
Click here for tips on budgeting.
Stick to your budget: Sticking to a budget is like sticking to a diet, it can be very difficult for some. As I have noted in the previous paragraph, formulating a budget won’t necessarily prevent you from spending exorbitantly, you will still find yourself tempted to overspend. In as much as this is the case, sticking to your budget is the only way you can pull through the month with what you have. Self-discipline and excising some caution when handling your money is the only way you can stick to your budget and pull through the month. Before you rash to the ATM to chuck some cash for that sudden expenditure, first check how argent the expenditure is, can it be postponed?
Try to live within your income, diverting to a life you can’t afford will definitely mess up your entire month. Be smart about it, make wise financial decisions this time round and live a financial hustle free month.