Do you feel the pressure of managing your finances? You are not alone. Many individuals find it hard to control their finances. 

It’s important to take a proactive approach to organise your finances – especially if you plan to make future purchases that require funding. When considering a bridging loan or a home equity loan for personal or business purposes, it’s important to determine the loan amount, loan term, interest rate and serviceability (how you’re going to repay the loan comfortably). 

Undoubtedly, accurate and realistic budgeting is one of the best ways to keep your finances in check. Even so, how do you make one? Here are some areas to consider to help you get started:

1. Identify your net income

How much is your monthly income minus expenses? The first step to creating a sound budget is to determine how much you earn. To do this, you have to create a list of all your earnings, including salaries, interests, pension, and other monetary sources. You then subtract all your bills, such as utilities, rent or mortgage, car costs, school fees, and so forth.

This reconciliation will provide a good overview of how much you should be spending, as well as what expenses you need to prioritise. Additionally, it can help you spend wisely because you can identify areas where you potentially spend too much money. Evaluating the things you need beforehand often tremendously helps reduce needless spending. 

2. Consolidate your financial paperwork

After creating a list of all your earnings, you can begin to gather your financial paperwork. These would include your bank statements, investment accounts, utility bills, credit card bills, and mortgage and auto loan statements. You want to have access to any information that points back to your income and expenses.

Although you want to make all your monthly repayments, this may not always be possible. This is why it is important to prioritise expenses. And to be effective on your budget scheme, you have to create a thorough list of your monthly expenses. Prioritising your bills and expenses according to importance equips you to meet your basic needs, protect your credit and reduce your financial stress.

3. Set realistic financial goals

A solid budget is vital for your immediate and long-term financial goals. Your immediate financial goals would cover current expenses, while your long-term goals would include retirement savings, your child’s education and investments. Although these are important, you still have to determine which goals are necessary and realistic. In this way, you have control over your money. 

Moreover, setting realistic goals will help remove stress, build confidence to pay your expenses, and forecast future goals. 

4. Track your expenses

It’s important to track your expenses consistently. By categorising your expenses, you can easily make adjustments should the need arise. 

To effectively do this, identify your fixed and variable expenses to know which areas you need to cut back or where you still have an imbalance. For example, your fixed expenses are identified as rent, mortgage, internet service, car payments or credit cards. On the other hand, variable expenses shift every week or month, such as groceries, eating out, shopping, petrol or entertainment.

The good thing about variable expenses is that they can be cut back, especially if you don’t want to exceed your income.

5. Track your spending

Another tactic to control your budget is to track your spending consistently. There are a lot of budget app tools to help you get accurate on your tracking. Tracking also helps you to identify certain patterns of your spending. 

It’s also important to review your budget all the time to ensure you are still on track. It does help to know that the budget will shift as your income also changes. As you move forward, you may get a raise or have reached a goal and want to start a new one.

Conclusion

Managing your budget may not be easy, but it is a crucial step to feeling financially secure. And whether you are in your 20s or 50s, committing to your budget can enhance your life by guiding your priorities and helping to reduce stress.