Monday, November 14, 2005

The Art of Good Money Management

Good money management needn't be difficult although it can often feel that way.

In fact, there a number of easy steps recommended by most financial professionals to help manage your finances better.

Pay your bills on time to avoid late fees. Don't wait until the red bill turns up!

Make notes of due dates in your diary and remember to allow extra time for postal payments to reach the recipient.

Pay more than the minimum on your credit cards. If you are paid weekly then pay a little each week rather than waiting until the monthly statement arrives.

Read your bank statement regularly. Keep an eye on all your incomings and outgoings.These days identity theft is very common so you need to make sure you are not paying someone else's charges.

Keep your receipts and check them off. This will give you a better idea of what you are spending.

Look around for and switch to credit cards with lower rates. Many credit card companies offer low interest rates for transferring balances from another card.

Follow a monthly budget.This may be easier said than done but if you are sensible about your outgoings then you will find managing your money much easier.

Try to spread big expenditures like Christmas shopping out by making a list and starting early.

At the beginning of each month try to have an idea of any birthday present you want to buy so you can spread the cost of buying them.

Many of the Good Money Management ideas are really just common sense but they do work. Try them for a couple of months and see if they can work for you. Open a savings account and put what you are saving each week or month into it and watch it grow. This can be all the incentive you need to carry on with Good Money Management!

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