It was the Chinese philosopher Confucius who said: “Life is really simple, but we insist on making it complicated.”
Does life sometimes feel complicated or overwhelming? What was the root cause? Was it regarding your career, family life, or something else? Were you out of your comfort zone or out of time?
Through our years of serving others we have learned that a simple approach of building the right plan, and having the discipline to stick to it, is the prudent way to approach your financial wellbeing. A life… simplified!
When it comes to personal finances it is highly advantageous to do these things well:
1) Have a plan - This can be as simple as writing down your financial goals and prioritizing them. To help make the plan more complete be sure to record the steps you need to take to accomplish the goals, and give each goal a deadline.
2) Stick to that plan (revise it if your goals change) - Give your plan the attention it deserves. Commit to working on each step of the plan until you finish it, and don’t let other circumstances distract you. Focus on what you can control and make progress. Celebrate when you achieve your goal!
It takes effort to do things well in life. Be wise. Start now. Here are several ideas that may help:
Spend within your means; keep a buffer each month and manage your cash flow wisely
Get organized; keeping your financial house in order helps alleviate stress
Consolidate and simplify; too much of “anything” is not a good thing
Automate what you can to save time and resources; save regularly & use bill pay
Have a safety net; save ample cash for rainy days - they do happen
Save early and often for your goals; we’ve never heard anyone complain they saved too much
Diversify, diversify, diversify; don’t keep all your eggs in one basket
Seek qualified advice when topics are too complex; it’s usually money well spent
If you don’t have a financial plan or if you lack the time or expertise, seek help! Life’s a journey, navigate it wisely.