The most important thing you can do in your life is to secure your financial future. If you don’t have to worry about money, you are guaranteed to live a more fulfilling life. You won’t be trouble-free but you’ll be more able to withstand the stresses and find solutions to your problems. Here is a list of tools to make you day productive.
Securing your financial future might sound like a complicated project. It sure isn’t going to be easy but you have many tools around you to help make it more straightforward and pleasant. You don’t need to spend hours solving financial mysteries if you just know what tools to harness.
So, as you begin securing your financial future and ensuring you don’t have to worry about money on a daily basis, these are the tools to use on your journey.
Tools that help you save more
Saving more of what you make is often the first step to securing your financial freedom. If you are spending everything you earn, you aren’t going to leave anything for the rainy day – it really is as simple as that.
Saving without a clear plan and structure can be difficult. To help you get started, a program such as the 52 Week Money Challenge is worth exploring. This particular saving challenge even has its own mobile app that allows you to track how well you are doing.
If you are struggling to hold on to your money long enough to place it on a savings account, you might want to consider opting for Digit. This app will monitor your income and spending, taking small amounts of money every now and then to your savings account. It doesn’t cost anything and you don’t have to worry about transferring the money – you won’t even notice you are saving.
Furthermore, you should also find ways to save money with essential spending. This is easy with websites like uSwitch and OZCodes. The latter will help you find saving codes from online stores ranging from technology to groceries, whereas the former can ensure you compare prices for providers of energy, insurance and the like.
Tools that help you manage your money better
Of course, you won’t ever have anything to save if you don’t learn how to manage your money. It’s one of the most important lessons to learn in life – you need to know how much you are making and how much you are spending and ensuring you never spend more than you make.
Both the App Store and Google Play are full of budgeting apps. You definitely want to try Mint. It’s a popular money-managing app monitoring financial accounts and helping you create a budget. It’s also perfect for checking your credit score and receiving reminders on bills. If you need more tips, Mint also gives them based on your spending habits.
Another good app to keep in mind is Daily Budget. It examines your day-to-day cash flow and gives you a clear spending profile to study. It makes it easy to see where and when you spend; helping you to perhaps change those negative money habits for the better.
If you are struggling with debt, MoneyWiz is a money-managing app worth trying. It handles all your accounts, budgets and bills proving you with suggestions on how to clear your debt quicker. The in-depth reports will help you understand how you are spending money, especially in terms of your earnings.
Tools that help you earn more
Naturally, securing your financial future isn’t just about knowing how to use what you are currently earning and saving some of it for the rainy day. It’s much easier to save and create a strong balance when you are making more in the first place.
The good news is that there are tools that can help you earn more money without you paying any attention to it. Acorns is an investing app that doesn’t require you to have a million on your bank account. In fact, the app rounds your purchases to the nearest dollar and invests that money in a diversified stock portfolio. Once these investments earn you $5, the money will be transferred to a savings account.
If you are new to investing, you should also consider checking out SigFig. The investment tool tracks, manages and optimises your current portfolios but you can also manage new investments with the app. You can also take a questionnaire to find out your risk profile, create a personalised investment plan and even get tips on how you should be investing.
Finally, if you shouldn’t overlook the power of knowledge when it comes to earning more money. Whether it is about running your business or investing your money, you need to know what is happening in the world around you. So, make sure to read newspapers and financial blogs to stay on top of world events. Bloomberg, the Washington Post and the New York Times are among good newspapers to read.
With the above tools, you can secure your financial future. You’ll be making more, saving more and spending your existing money much better.