5 Smart Financial Tips For The Modern Man

With the cost of living rising higher than ever before, all of us are feeling the sting in some way or another. Whether it’s fuel prices, heating and electricity bills, or simply the cost of groceries, it’s wise for us to all start thinking about ways in which we can protect our finances today. While some will undoubtedly feel the impact of these changes in the economy more than others, there are many things that we can consider to improve our financial situations, whether on a small or large scale. To help you, we’ve listed some smart financial tips for you to consider.

Create A Personal Budget
One of the best things any of us can do when it comes to our finances is to create a budget. Budgeting our money can provide us with a lot of clarity about where our money goes and what we can do to reduce unnecessary spending habits. Starting a budget might seem like a complex task, but it’s actually very straightforward once you understand everything you need to include. You’ll want to first note your income and then every single one of your expenses, from essentials like rent or mortgage repayments and utility bills to luxury purchases and monthly subscriptions to things like Netflix. Once you’ve listed your expenses, you’ll be able to then compare them to what you have coming in. The more you can then cut those unnecessary expenses, the more you’ll have left over at the end of the month. 

Set Financial Goals
Once you’ve created your budget, you’ll then want to start thinking about what you want to do with your money in the short and long term. Your financial goals could be as simple as creating a healthy savings pot or even an emergency fund to help you if things go wrong in life, such as losing your job or replacing your boiler. You might be thinking of saving up for your first home or even saving up to start a business in the long term. Whatever it is that you want to save for, you’ll be able to achieve this much better once you lay out your plans and set your goals in your sights for your finances. 

Choose Cheaper Monthly Plans
One way in which you can reduce those monthly expenses that you’ve identified in your budget and to control your finances is to find cheaper alternatives. Both small and large monetary commitments such as monthly mobile phone contracts to loans to purchase a car, for example, can seriously impact your financial situation. However, thanks to comparison sites like Foned, it’s easier to find a cheaper mobile contract. As a more affordable alternative, you could choose to lease a car instead of paying off a car you own to help your finances further. Many cars, excluding expensive collectable models, will deteriorate in value and therefore aren’t really a sound investment. Instead, you could pay for a lease that is often much more affordable than paying a car loan off, plus you get the added bonus of being able to switch to new models, including cars that you might not have been able to afford to buy beforehand. For example, you could find electric car lease deals from companies like LV, potentially reducing your monthly spending while also being more eco-friendly by driving an electric model too. You can find more about their lease deals and more at lvelectrix.co.uk.

Consider Investing
A good way to save money is to actually avoid leaving it in a basic savings account. While this may seem like the smart place to leave your money, it’s essentially doing nothing other than gaining a tiny percentage of interest every now and again. Unfortunately, that interest rarely covers inflation rates, and your money will essentially lose value. Instead, consider putting your money to better use by investing it. Whether that’s in an ISA or through stocks and shares via a range of UK investment apps, you might be able to make a serious amount of money off of your savings. Remember, though, that your capital is at risk when you invest, and there is a chance that you’ll lose more money than you invest. That’s why it’s always worth spreading those investments around and diversifying your portfolio to help support your finances. 

Get Into Meal Planning
Grocery shopping can be one of the largest expenses for most people, but it’s actually one that we can cut down the easiest. Of course, paying for a family of four as opposed to a couple is vastly different in cost, but you’d be surprised as to just how much you can save by scrutinising your grocery spending. For a start, choosing unbranded items where possible is always a smart idea for your finances and cutting out unnecessary purchases. However, one of the best things you can do is to start planning your meals ahead of time. This requires you to first make a specific shopping list and stick to it. This can help you to steer clear of any tempting excess purchases because you already know exactly what you need and that anything else might be a waste. If you instead allow yourself to just buy without a plan, you might end up not buying enough or buying too much. Interestingly, if you fail to buy everything you need during your main grocery shop, you may have to then visit smaller, more expensive express shops to get the items you forgot. This can add to your bill significantly.

Until next time.