With busy lifestyles and the growing concern about how economic factors may affect how far your wages go each month, it is becoming increasingly important to consider your financial future and how you manage money on a regular basis. It would be great if there was a magic wand to help transform our spending and saving habits for the better but unfortunately, it is not that easy. The concept of managing your personal finances may be simple but implementing it into already stretched budgets is a more difficult task.

Check out some helpful ways to reduce your financial stress and start planning a cash healthy future.

Planning and setting goals

One of the first steps to achieving financial stability is to analyse what you are spending regularly. Setting goals for your specific lifestyle and money aspirations are key to deciding how best to manage your money. Different stages of your life require different ways of managing money so considering what stage you are at is another important factor.

Prioritising your financial goals is the next step in realising them. Some goals will require long-term commitment such as saving for retirement whereas other may be shorter such as saving for your next holiday. If you’re looking to make substantial savings, for example, purchasing a new home, considering how you will achieve this is also a part of the planning process, as substantial changes in money management may be required.

Sticking to a budget

Once you’ve set your goals and decided on the best plan of action in bringing them to fruition, creating a budget will bring you another step closer to successfully reaching them. Budgeting is one of the harder aspects of money management and may call for an end to overspending and keeping a clear record of how much is spent each week. Long-term goals will require keen commitment to saving for retirement or a first home will require a significant savings pot.

An important factor to consider when budgeting regularly is to remember this is not something that is punishing you, although it might feel like it at first. This goal is set to make a clearer and healthy relationship with money and build on your life success for a stable financial future. Just remember to look at the end goal and concentrate on this exciting step to achieving it.

Getting out of debt

If you have a debt hanging over you, no matter how hard you try, you may be stuck in a debt spiral. Saving for long-term goals with debt can be a struggle and it is sometimes best to focus on clearing it before you start a serious savings plan. Eliminating debts can be tricky if you are struggling for cash but trying to clear credit cards more quickly, resolving unsecured loans and getting back into the black on overdrafts will help to put you in a better position.

Ways to help increase the amount you can put towards debt include:

• Considering a second job in the short term can help you put this money into further debt payments.
• Sell unwanted items and release some money from things you no longer use
• Tighten budgets to release further funds for your debt payment plans

If you have considerable debt, you may feel overwhelmed and do not know where to start in the process of trying to clear it. In these situations, don’t be afraid to ask for help if you are struggling with money management. There is a host of resources and debt advice available for anyone looking to resolve their financial issues. Debt payment plans, financial planners and using budgeting software are some of the ways to control your finances and start getting ahead for future wealth building.

If you’re looking to start making changes to your financial future, taking simple steps can help you achieve your goals and ensure you lead a healthy and happy lifestyle for years to come.