Have you found yourself struggling with balancing your budget and maintaining a healthy financial life? We all experience hurdles when it comes to money, but any situation can be fixed with a bit of good financial insight and planning. Setting strong financial goals can also set you on the right path, especially if you take it step by step.
If you’re in need of a budget overhaul, here are a few tips to get you started:
Get everything organized.
Keeping an organized system will go a long way in your financial success. Whether you have a physical or a digital banking system, creating file folders (either on your computer or in your home office) for important documents will help you keep everything organized and easy to access. Also, take this time to get rid of unnecessary paper clutter that can confuse your organizational system. Polam members can opt in to receive E-Statements for their monthly banking information to cut down on paper waste.
Go over what you’ve been spending.
In an era of debit and credit cards and digital wallets, it can be very easy to not track how much you spend in a given week. With cash, you actually see the money disappearing from your wallet. Go over your transaction history (you can easily log on via Polam’s online and mobile banking portals) and track where your money is going. By doing this, you can see what you’re spending on necessities and frivolities.
Set the right goals for yourself and your household.
After you’ve gone over your finances and your transaction history, it’s time to set solid goals to keep your budget in balance. Don’t worry about taking on too much too soon – take it day by day. A good way to start is to determine what percentage of your income should go toward categories like housing, any debt you might owe, taxes, insurance, and savings and retirement.