There is such a proverb: "Stretch your legs over your clothes." Its meaning is quite simple: you need to live within your means. It can be difficult to ensure that expenses do not exceed income. However, with a few tips, you can master this art.
Although it can be very difficult to live without going beyond the available means, in many respects it is justified. For example, living like this will help prevent financial distress. Having learned to plan everything correctly, you will not have to go into debt, and then think about how to pay it back.
Make a budget
In order to have enough for everything and be less tempted to make unnecessary purchases, you need to draw up a family budget.
Write down on a piece of paper how much money you get. Then list the expenses you need: utilities, clothing, food, recreation. And divide the money you have into these basic categories. In some cases, it would be wise to distribute money into envelopes, each of which is intended for a specific expense item.
It would be nice to write down what the money earned is spent on throughout the month. Later, this will provide an opportunity to see what is not so important and what money can not be spent next month.
By applying this advice, you can learn how to evenly distribute the funds that you own. Thanks to this, it will turn out to live in such a way that there is enough for everything and, which is important, get real joy from it.
Lead a simple life
If you can only afford bread and potatoes, and you buy red caviar and lobster all the time, then material difficulties will surely follow. Nobody says that you cannot sometimes pamper yourself and your family. However, it is important that the purchases you make are satisfying and rewarding. It is unwise to buy red caviar and lobster at the beginning of the week, and then interrupt the whole week from bread to water.
Save money to buy
While many people find it old-fashioned to set aside a certain amount of money on a regular basis, it is still very effective. And this is one of the easiest ways to avoid financial problems. This approach helps to avoid debt and pay high interest rates, which greatly increase the purchase price. Of course, in this case, you will have to wait a little with the desired purchase. However, after that, you will not need to worry about the money that you had to overpay by taking a loan.
Virtual money is an insidious trap
It's easy to waste money without seeing how much is actually in your wallet. This often happens when expenses are paid by credit card, when purchases are made over the Internet or when electronic banking is used. There is another potential pitfall for newlyweds - the ability to easily get a loan. Before making such or similar decisions, think about how it will affect your future life.
