For someone with a history and pattern of financial chaos, the first step toward better money management could be to just organize your financial life. Organizing your financial life requires a clear picture of where you are and where you want to go with your money. I believe you must know where your money is going, and where it’s being spent, to manage it effectively. Knowing where your money is going is one of my GoldenRules of financial management. Additionally, you must know where you are in terms of income, and debt. You will also need some SMART financial goals to lead the way to a better financial future. To help you accomplish this task, set up a system to track your expenses, income, and pay bills.
Getting organized can be overwhelming and can stop the best of us even before we start. To help you get organized, use the organization tips below.
Tip #1. Get Organized by Setting Up a Tracking System
Set up a system to track expenses appropriately for your needs. The system could be as simple as a piece of paper and pencil or a spreadsheet on your personal computer. Before you do anything with your money, you must know where you are spending it and where it’s going. Again, this is a GoldenRule to managing money better.
In this case, knowing is more than half of the battle. I believe knowing allows you to see your spending and adjust it to help you meet your financial goals and not overspend. It’s a must for managing money effectively. You must know where your money is going before you can manage it effectively.
Tip #2. Track Your Spending
If you have not already done so, start documenting your spending. Use that paper and pencil or spreadsheet and document, document, document. Once a week or even every day. Once a week will be less time-consuming, but from experience, it’s easy to forget some days, and daily, at least when starting, maybe the better way. However, tracking your spending will get easier the more you do it because you are creating a good habit.
Tip #3. Set Up a Consistent Place to Work Your Money
Whatever way you decide to track spending, you need a place to do that. Therefore, set a place where you will weekly or daily record your expenses, pay bills, and compare financial goals to reality. I call this “working your money”. Working your money is one of my GoldenRules to manage money better.
I believe in working your money. Please know that working your money takes time, it’s a job. However, you must work your money because if you don’t, someone else will, and you will be wondering where your money went and how you spent it on that.
Also, when working your money, compare your spending plan with your actual expenses. Comparing will help you stay focused on your system and organize your financial life. And be consistent. Pick a day and time to work your money, Sunday after church, Monday after work, Saturday morning, unless you have kids because they will be up before you.
Tip #4. Don’t Make Your System Too Complicated (KISS)
In setting up your system, it is helpful to be as thorough as necessary for your needs but not too complicated to where you get bogged down, bored, and do not continue with it. The key is to have a system that is not intimidating to you. One of the goals of the process, besides organizing your financial life, should be to help you learn to manage your finances. As a money nerd, it’s hard to keep it simple sometimes, but try to use the KISS principle, for Keep It Simple Sweetie.
Tip #5. Organize Your Financial Life by Using a Spending Plan
If you are an over spender and cannot stick to your spending plan, perhaps setting up two bank accounts can help. Set up one account that you would use to pay bills and another discretionary account for discretionary expenses. The amount is based on your spending plan and used for discretionary expenses only. Using a spending plan is another GoldenRule.
Be aware that setting up a system that works well for you may take some trial and error. It is important to be patient and to make a commitment to working your money. Sometimes a perceived problem in the plan could be reluctance on your part and turn into a great opportunity.
Final Thoughts on Organizing Your Financial Life
There are huge benefits to organizing your financial life. Ultimately organizing your financial life will help you make better financial decisions. Additionally, I believe that organizing helps you to be a better steward of your money. Additionally, the plan can help you develop a healthy relationship with money. You will start to see money as a tool to help you achieve financial goals. How do you organize your financial life? Comment below, I would love to hear form you..