Saving Your Shrapnel: Making the Most of Your Limited Finances

Thursday, August 6, 2020

 

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We can feel that a small budget is the one obstacle that stops us from enjoying our lives. If you feel you cannot treat yourself because you don't earn enough money or you need to siphon off a little bit to get some presents for the children, it can be one of those frustrating things in life that can get you down. Having a small budget and limited finances doesn't have to be a hindrance. Ultimately, you can make the most of having limited finances, but it's about making the money work for you. How can you do this?

The Importance of Saving and Investing, No Matter How Small It Is

We feel that if we don't have much money, then how can we even put anything aside. But saving and investing doesn't have to be something you do when you have a massive pay packet. Saving and investing is one of those habits that can set you up for life, depending on your goals. You could save for a new car or a down payment on a home but you may think but because you earn so little that it would take forever to put any money aside. But the trick is to do little and often.

On the topic of investing, you might be surprised to find there are many options, even if you don't have much money. People think that they need a considerable amount of money to get their foot in the door. In fact, you can use one of the many apps out there to invest as little as you want. There are plenty of guides out there if you feel like you are wading in treacherous waters. This CFD day trading guide is something that you could aspire to. Day trading is one of those things where you get in and get out during a day, so there is minimal risk when it comes to your money in the long-term. There are also many money-saving apps that can help you to put money aside without you thinking about it. Because saving can be a massive headache, especially if we have to continually check our bank balance, using an app that puts a very small percentage aside can help you save up pretty quickly.

The Fine Art of Budgeting

When we feel we don't have enough money, this can be the answer. Using something like the 50/30/20 rule can help you develop a blueprint for your budget. Using 50% of your pay on the things you need, 30% of the things that you want, and 20% paying off debt is a wonderful and proactive approach. When you start to budget appropriately, you begin to live within your means. But before you get to this point, you've got to understand your spending habits. Many people don't know where their money is going. In fact, many people avoid checking their bank balance for this very reason. When you start to look at what comes into your account and what goes out, you may find that because you are always going back into the red after payday, you will never be able to get out of depth.

In addition to this, you may end up creating new debt as a result of your poor bank balance. But this is where budgeting becomes a crucial component of making the most of your finances. Budgeting is a habit that you need to learn. It shouldn't be something you do just once; it's got to be something that you do every day. And your budget may need to change from month to month because of significant expenses or certain spending habits. But if you have bad spending habits, it's important to fix your attitude towards money.

Changing Your Mindset

When you have a small budget, you feel that you can't get the things that you want. As such, you may develop a carefree attitude towards money. It's so easy for us to have a splurge if we've had a bad week. And we are all entitled to treat ourselves, but we've got to get the balance right. If you think that you have little money, you are always trying to live beyond your means. But this is where you have got to start asking yourself why you continually spend over what you have. Some people may feel that they need to keep up with the Joneses. It's not easy in this day in age to keep afloat. Prices go up, but wages stagnate. And when you start to look at who you are trying to please, a few home truths may arise. It's so hard to keep within our budget when things change constantly. But this can be where a lot of soul searching can help.

Learning to change your attitude towards money and avoid its dispensable nature could be the thing to help you. Many people adopt a somewhat minimalist mindset because of money, but a lot of people end up becoming minimalist because they've had too much of it. When we don't have enough money, we always crave what we don't have. But this means we've got to learn to make the most of what we've got. This is a fundamental life lesson, as well as a financial one. It's nice to have things on occasion, but if you feel that things will cheer you up, this might not prove to be the right approach.

When you make the most of your limited finances, you can achieve so much more. Even if you have pennies to spare, they can go towards something. But it's not just about making wise investments or budgeting; it's about ensuring that your attitude towards money is the right one. Because if we feel that we always need a little bit more money, we will never get out of this cycle. As such, we may end up in debt and never get to enjoy our lives. Money is certainly nice to have, and there can always be difficult months, but if you can fix these three approaches you are going in the right direction.



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