A detailed, written budget is vital for a healthy financial plan. Love your money with these five helpful pick-me-ups!
Start with your budget.
Whether you do it by hand or decide on an app, it’s essential to know what money you have coming in and where it goes. The closer you track it, the sooner you can identify areas to increase or decrease your spending.
#ProTip: Don’t reinvent the wheel! There are a ton of excellent tools out there, making budgeting easier. Altana empowers its members with its online banking platform if you’re looking for a free budgeting tool.
Get logged in and started with Money Desktop. Select the account you’d like to manage and find the “Money Manager” icon. You’ll be redirected to the feature and have the option to build your budget from scratch or auto-generate from your spending history.
Not only can you auto-build your budget, but you can also automate your savings, your bill pay, and your debt payoff.
Revisit your budget.
As your financial situation changes, so should your budget. Earn a raise? Change the budget. Recently grew your family? Change the budget. Sign up for a new monthly cheese subscription box? Oooo, we love that. But also, change your budget.
Knowing what you’ve got and giving it a purpose is significant to success.
Keep a category for emergencies.
Emergencies are (unfortunately) an unavoidable part of life. The only way to prepare for the unknown is to acknowledge that things happen and prepare a safety net. Looking for ideas to help boost your fund? Here are nine ways to kick your emergency fund in shape and ready for anything.
Pay down those credit card balances.
If you’ve got a few extra dollars left, consider using them to pay down card and loan balances! Even $10 can make a difference, and you’ll save hundreds on interest payments over time!
Are you interested in learning more about your credit score? We’ve got you covered.
Leave room for fun.
Your finances don’t always have to be all business. Sure, you have the power to save for your future, but if you budget without fun in mind, it can quickly become unenjoyable. When you’re confident in the budget you’ve created, it’s important to remember to treat yourself; after all, you worked hard for that money! Leaving a designated place in your budget for fun is a great way to stick to your goals, love your money, and reward yourself for the work you’ve put in!
WHAT’S NEXT?
If you’re ready to kick off your savings goals – we’re prepared to help you get started! Let’s meet! We’re here to support you and answer any questions.
(P.S. – If you’re more of a Social Media person, DM us on Facebook or Instagram, and we’ll personally set you up with someone perfect for you and your goals.)
