Managing Money Hard? Personal Finance and Budgeting Tips (2024)

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Many people think that managing money is hard. They have many excuses for why they don’t manage their money. A few of them are reasonable excuses but most of them are just a result of laziness.

How to budget your money and money management tips

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You can sign up for Personal Capital here.

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Now let’s go over some of the reasons and excuses people have for bad money management skills below.

Managing Money Hard? Personal Finance and Budgeting Tips (1)

Too Much Information About Managing Money and Personal Finance

“There’s just too much information about managing money and personal finances.” This is a reasonable excuse for not managing your money properly. There is simply so much information available to us today, thanks to the internet, that it makes us indecisive or it immobilizes us. In other words, all the information available to us today can cause information overload.

It can be difficult for some people to make financial decisions when there is information pouring out of every ear, telling you what you should and shouldn’t do. As Americans, we like to conduct our own research before making any type of financial decision.

Doing your own due diligence before making personal financeand money management decisions is actually really smart. Although, because there is so much information out there available to us, trying to find the correct advice can be time consuming. Reading and reviewing all of the information available can cause you to waste time, become overwhelmed, and immobilize you from taking action.

As it says in one of my favorite books called The 4-Hour Workweek, a low-information diet is key for success!

The 401(k) Plan Example

Research has shown that the more mutual funds offered in a 401(k) plan there are, the less likely an employee is to pick a fund and participate in the plan altogether. The reason for this is because they have too many options available to them and too many options to choose from. The employees become indecisive because they don’t know what funds to pick and place into their 401(k) account.

Now, a 401(k) plan that’s offered to employees with less mutual funds to choose from, are more likely to pick a fund or fund(s) to invest in and participate in the plan.

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Financial News in the Media

Blame the media for not managing your money. It seems like someof thingsthe media writes and talks about on the topics of personal finance and money makes me want to pull my hair out and run around like an insane person. Okay, maybe I exaggerated that a little, but seriously!

It seems like the majority of all personal finance information and financial news out there that’s presented by the media is geared towards old men. Honestly, young people who are onlylooking for some basic financial adviceand budgeting tips end-up getting hammered with information like spending less at Starbucks or strategies about tax-optimization.

A word to the media, young people don’t care very much about tax-optimization, it’s too complicating and confusing to them. Also, as far as spending less money at Starbucks goes, you’re wasting your breathe. Young people don’t care how much Starbucks costs, they love it and don’t mind paying extra for their coffee.

The only things us young people really care about is where to put our money so it will grow automatically, in accounts with low fees and won’t require a lot of maintenance.

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Remember the best thing for you and your finances is a low-information diet. This will safeguard you from all the worthless and time-consuming advice the media throws at you.

Back in 2007, the financial experts in the media advised everyone to invest in real estate. A year later the real estate market crashed and burned, putting us into one of the worst recessions ever! Now, the same “experts” are advising us on what to do in a post-recession, thanks but no thanks.

Horrible Excuses for Not Managing Your Money

Below is a list of horrible excuses and reasons people have for not managing their money:

  • Banks only want to profit off me.”
  • “They don’t teach personal finance and money skills in school.”
  • Investing is risky.”
  • “I don’t have any extra money to save or invest.”

Stop Making Excuses for Not Making Wise Money Decisions

I’m going to say this in the nicest way I can: Quit whining like a little baby as to why you can’t get your personalfinances in order and start taking action!

Managing Money Hard? Personal Finance and Budgeting Tips (2024)

FAQs

Managing Money Hard? Personal Finance and Budgeting Tips? ›

Those will become part of your budget. The 50-30-20 rule recommends putting 50% of your money toward needs, 30% toward wants, and 20% toward savings. The savings category also includes money you will need to realize your future goals.

What is the 50/30/20 rule for managing money? ›

Those will become part of your budget. The 50-30-20 rule recommends putting 50% of your money toward needs, 30% toward wants, and 20% toward savings. The savings category also includes money you will need to realize your future goals.

What is the trick to managing personal finances? ›

Pay your bills on time every month.

Paying bills on time is an easy way to manage your money wisely, and it comes with excellent benefits: It helps you avoid late fees and prioritizes essential spending. A strong on-time payment history can also lift your credit score and improve your interest rates.

What is the #1 rule of personal finance? ›

#1 Don't Spend More Than You Make

When your bank balance is looking healthy after payday, it's easy to overspend and not be as careful. However, there are several issues at play that result in people relying on borrowing money, racking up debt and living way beyond their means.

What is the 75 15 10 rule? ›

This iteration calls for you to put 75% of after-tax income to daily expenses, 15% to investing and 10% to savings.

How to budget $4000 a month? ›

making $4,000 a month using the 75 10 15 method. 75% goes towards your needs, so use $3,000 towards housing bills, transport, and groceries. 10% goes towards want. So $400 to spend on dining out, entertainment, and hobbies.

How to budget like a pro? ›

  1. Create your budget before the month begins.
  2. Practice budgeting to zero.
  3. Use the right tools.
  4. Establish needs versus wants.
  5. Keep bills and receipts organized.
  6. Prioritize debt repayment.
  7. Don't forget to factor in fun.
  8. Save first, then spend.
Feb 22, 2024

What are the 5 basics of personal finance? ›

There's plenty to learn about personal financial topics, but breaking them down can help simplify things. To start expanding your financial literacy, consider these five areas: budgeting, building and improving credit, saving, borrowing and repaying debt, and investing.

How to be financially smart? ›

7 financial habits to help make you smarter with your money
  1. Automate whatever you can. Automate your savings, automate your loan repayments, automate your bills. ...
  2. Have specific, meaningful goals. ...
  3. Invest. ...
  4. Don't spend that unexpected cash. ...
  5. Prioritise high interest debt. ...
  6. Track your spending. ...
  7. Learn however you can.

What is the 1234 financial rule? ›

One simple rule of thumb I tend to adopt is going by the 4-3-2-1 ratios to budgeting. This ratio allocates 40% of your income towards expenses, 30% towards housing, 20% towards savings and investments and 10% towards insurance.

What is the golden rule of money? ›

Before we dive into the details, let's first understand the concept of the golden rule of saving money. Simply put, it states that you should always save a portion of your income before spending it.

What is the 80% rule personal finance? ›

YOUR BUDGET

The 80/20 budget is a simpler version of it. Using the 80/20 budgeting method, 80% of your income goes toward monthly expenses and spending, while the other 20% goes toward savings and investments.

What is the #1 rule of budgeting? ›

Oh My Dollar! From the radio vaults, we bring you a short episode about the #1 most important thing in your budget: your values. You can't avoid looking at your budget without considering your values – no one else's budget will work for you.

What are the 3 P's of budgeting? ›

You can start having more control over your finances today by using the three P's: paycheck, prioritize and plan.

What are the 3 R's of a good budget? ›

Refuse, Reduce and Reuse.

What is the 50 30 20 rule of budgeting examples? ›

For example, if you earn ₹ 1 lakh, you can allocate ₹ 50,000 to your needs, ₹ 30,000 to your wants and ₹ 20,000 to your savings, every month.

Is the 50 30 20 rule a good budget? ›

Is the 50/30/20 budget rule right for you? The 50/30/20 rule can be a good budgeting method for some, but it may not work for your unique monthly expenses. Depending on your income and where you live, earmarking 50% of your income for your needs may not be enough.

What is the 20 60 20 money management rule? ›

To start, the 20/20/60 rule uses the same three categories as the above rule with some percentage adjustments: 20% for savings. 20% for consumer debt. 60% for living expenses.

What is one negative thing about the 50 30 20 rule of budgeting? ›

Some Experts Say the 50/30/20 Is Not a Good Rule at All. “This budget is restrictive and does not take into consideration your values, lifestyle and money goals. For example, 50% for needs is not enough for those in high-cost-of-living areas.

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