In these trying times, money is a big worry for many people. Most of us experience financial struggles, but some people’s situations are certainly trickier to resolve than others. If you find yourself struggling to overcome the big financial hurdles in life then it’s time to make a change to your money management strategy. For most people, their problems can be resolved by simply rethinking the way they spend and save their money. Let’s talk about some of the money-related issues you might be facing and how you could overcome them.
Bills and debt
The main financial hurdles that most people face are bills and debt. No matter how low or high your salary may be, those two problems can affect people of all backgrounds. That’s because you need to focus on your money management skills rather than your monetary earnings. It’s all about keeping track of how much money you make so that you know your limits when it comes to expenses. That’s why you need to start budgeting if you want to see an improvement in your personal finances. If you calculate the costs of necessities such as gas, groceries, utilities, and rent then you’ll know how much income you need to set aside each month for the essentials. Your remaining income is the excess, but you need to start thinking about putting that towards things other than luxuries if you have debt. Prioritize your debt repayments, and put those non-essential purchases on the back burner. That’s how you take control of your money and overcome financial hurdles such as unpaid bills and debt.
Unemployment
Given the current state of the world economy, it’s no surprise that unemployment is a huge hurdle that faces many people. Whilst you’re most likely searching for new employment every day if this is the case, there’s no denying that it’s a tough financial hurdle to overcome in the meantime. You only realize how much life costs once you’ve lost your source of income. And if you want to protect your savings until you’ve found a new job then you need to start thinking more sensibly when it comes to your money. We’ve already talked about budgeting and cutting luxury spending, but you can also cut your necessary expenditures if you’re smart. This doesn’t mean you need to give up food or electricity; it means you need to start using resources more conservatively. You could insulate your house to better trap heat and reduce your energy usage. You could even save money on groceries by starting to grow vegetables in your back garden. There are plenty of ways to reduce your monthly expenses. And if you’re still struggling to make ends meet then you might want to consider welfare support from the state until you find employment.
Of course, there’s always the chance that you’re only temporarily unemployed whilst you recover from an illness or injury. That might seem like a trickier predicament in which to find yourself because you’re physically constrained in some sense, but there are certainly ways to overcome this financial hurdle until you’ve fully recovered and you’re able to work again. We’ve talked about saving money around the house to reduce your bills, but you might want to consider direct compensation for the issue at hand. Perhaps you had a slip & fall on ice, and that temporarily put you out of work. There are legal routes that could help you recover your lost income or reduce future earning abilities if your injury is particularly bad. Many additional costs come with being unemployed as the result of an accident, so you should claim the financial compensation you deserve if that’s the case.
Low savings
We’ve talked about ways to reduce your spending and make ends meet when situations are tough, but that’s all about financial survival in the present. Even if you can cover your costs today, you might still be worrying about tomorrow. And that’s smart. It’s good to think about the future when it comes to your finances because you won’t be working forever. You should always have an emergency fund too. Reducing your expenditures to save money doesn’t necessarily mean your actual savings are going to grow. As discussed earlier in the article, it’s all about what you do with your excess income.
And if you’re prone to treating yourself to luxuries with any remaining cash you might have at the end of the month then you might want to rethink your priorities. Set up a monthly standing order to automatically transfer a fixed amount of money to your savings account. It’s about putting your money out of reach. That way, you won’t have to worry about burning through your low funds on non-essentials. Plus, it’ll encourage you to be more disciplined with your spending when it comes to your remaining funds.
