Plan your finances
It is important to plan your spending in order to keep your finances in balance. Without planning, you may end up spending a surprisingly large amount of money.
If you have trouble covering your everyday expenses, take a moment to consider what expenses you could cut back on. Using credit to pay for your everyday expenses is not a good idea. Instead, you should plan your spending according to your income. If you keep taking out more credit, you may end up with more debt than you can afford.
Planning helps you prepare for future purchases and save money for them in advance. For example, buying a household appliance or winter clothing may significantly increase your expenses for a single month. If you manage to anticipate what you need to buy, you can save up the necessary sum beforehand and benefit from special offers and sales.
Start by listing your income and expenses
Keeping record of your income and expenses makes it easier to know where you stand financially. When you know your own finances, making plans is based on knowledge. If you anticipate your expenses and budget them, reaching financial balance will be easier.
When making a plan, you will get to know your finances, which will allow you to assess whether your income and expenses are in balance. Take into account your income and expenses and any savings target when drawing up a plan. Make a plan for a week, a month or a year at a time.
- Enter your disposable income, in other words your net income, in the plan.
- Write down your expenses and categorise them into fixed and variable ones.
- Deduct your expenses from your income to see if they are in balance. If you don’t have enough money, take a moment to reconsider your expenses and saving targets. Read more about saving.
If you wish, financial and debt counsellors will help you plan your spending. See our contact details.