Managing Money Hard? Personal Finance and Budgeting Tips (2024)

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Many people think that managing money is hard. They have many excuses for why they don’t manage their money. A few of them are reasonable excuses but most of them are just a result of laziness.

How to budget your money and money management tips

If you’re having a hard time managing all your financial and investment accounts, free finance tools and money management apps like Personal Capital can help you out a lot. Personal Capital is a free budgeting tool and money management service. It lets you manage all of your financial accounts from one place, including your bank, investment, credit card, retirement and other financial accounts. It also shows your net worth and analyzes your investment accounts to make sure you’re not overpaying in fees. The best part is all these services offered by Personal Capital for managing your money are completely free!

You can sign up for Personal Capital here.

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Now let’s go over some of the reasons and excuses people have for bad money management skills below.

Managing Money Hard? Personal Finance and Budgeting Tips (1)

Too Much Information About Managing Money and Personal Finance

“There’s just too much information about managing money and personal finances.” This is a reasonable excuse for not managing your money properly. There is simply so much information available to us today, thanks to the internet, that it makes us indecisive or it immobilizes us. In other words, all the information available to us today can cause information overload.

It can be difficult for some people to make financial decisions when there is information pouring out of every ear, telling you what you should and shouldn’t do. As Americans, we like to conduct our own research before making any type of financial decision.

Doing your own due diligence before making personal financeand money management decisions is actually really smart. Although, because there is so much information out there available to us, trying to find the correct advice can be time consuming. Reading and reviewing all of the information available can cause you to waste time, become overwhelmed, and immobilize you from taking action.

As it says in one of my favorite books called The 4-Hour Workweek, a low-information diet is key for success!

The 401(k) Plan Example

Research has shown that the more mutual funds offered in a 401(k) plan there are, the less likely an employee is to pick a fund and participate in the plan altogether. The reason for this is because they have too many options available to them and too many options to choose from. The employees become indecisive because they don’t know what funds to pick and place into their 401(k) account.

Now, a 401(k) plan that’s offered to employees with less mutual funds to choose from, are more likely to pick a fund or fund(s) to invest in and participate in the plan.

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Financial News in the Media

Blame the media for not managing your money. It seems like someof thingsthe media writes and talks about on the topics of personal finance and money makes me want to pull my hair out and run around like an insane person. Okay, maybe I exaggerated that a little, but seriously!

It seems like the majority of all personal finance information and financial news out there that’s presented by the media is geared towards old men. Honestly, young people who are onlylooking for some basic financial adviceand budgeting tips end-up getting hammered with information like spending less at Starbucks or strategies about tax-optimization.

A word to the media, young people don’t care very much about tax-optimization, it’s too complicating and confusing to them. Also, as far as spending less money at Starbucks goes, you’re wasting your breathe. Young people don’t care how much Starbucks costs, they love it and don’t mind paying extra for their coffee.

The only things us young people really care about is where to put our money so it will grow automatically, in accounts with low fees and won’t require a lot of maintenance.

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Remember the best thing for you and your finances is a low-information diet. This will safeguard you from all the worthless and time-consuming advice the media throws at you.

Back in 2007, the financial experts in the media advised everyone to invest in real estate. A year later the real estate market crashed and burned, putting us into one of the worst recessions ever! Now, the same “experts” are advising us on what to do in a post-recession, thanks but no thanks.

Horrible Excuses for Not Managing Your Money

Below is a list of horrible excuses and reasons people have for not managing their money:

  • Banks only want to profit off me.”
  • “They don’t teach personal finance and money skills in school.”
  • Investing is risky.”
  • “I don’t have any extra money to save or invest.”

Stop Making Excuses for Not Making Wise Money Decisions

I’m going to say this in the nicest way I can: Quit whining like a little baby as to why you can’t get your personalfinances in order and start taking action!

Managing Money Hard? Personal Finance and Budgeting Tips (2024)

FAQs

How to make a budget work Ramsey answers? ›

How to Create a Budget
  1. Step 1: List Your Income.
  2. Step 2: List Your Expenses.
  3. Step 3: Subtract Expenses From Income.
  4. Step 4: Track Your Transactions (All Month Long)
  5. Step 5: Make a New Budget Before the Month Begins.

What is the 50/30/20 rule for managing money? ›

The 50-30-20 rule recommends putting 50% of your money toward needs, 30% toward wants, and 20% toward savings. The savings category also includes money you will need to realize your future goals.

How do you manage money in personal finance? ›

Here are some ways to manage your money wisely:
  1. Create a budget: Making a budget is the first and the most important step of money management. ...
  2. Save first, spend later: ...
  3. Set financial goals: ...
  4. Start investing early: ...
  5. Avoid debt: ...
  6. Save Early: ...
  7. Ensure protection against emergencies:

What are the 3 steps to managing your personal finances? ›

Get started on path to financial success with these three steps: determining budgets, tracking spending, and creating realistic savings goals.

What is the #1 rule of budgeting? ›

Oh My Dollar! From the radio vaults, we bring you a short episode about the #1 most important thing in your budget: your values. You can't avoid looking at your budget without considering your values – no one else's budget will work for you.

What is the 60 20 20 rule for debt? ›

If you have a large amount of debt that you need to pay off, you can modify your percentage-based budget and follow the 60/20/20 rule. Put 60% of your income towards your needs (including debts), 20% towards your wants, and 20% towards your savings.

Is $1000 a month enough to live on after bills? ›

Bottom Line. Living on $1,000 per month is a challenge. From the high costs of housing, transportation and food, plus trying to keep your bills to a minimum, it would be difficult for anyone living alone to make this work. But with some creativity, roommates and strategy, you might be able to pull it off.

How to budget $4000 a month? ›

making $4,000 a month using the 75 10 15 method. 75% goes towards your needs, so use $3,000 towards housing bills, transport, and groceries. 10% goes towards want. So $400 to spend on dining out, entertainment, and hobbies.

How to budget $5000 a month? ›

Consider an individual who takes home $5,000 a month. Applying the 50/30/20 rule would give them a monthly budget of: 50% for mandatory expenses = $2,500. 20% to savings and debt repayment = $1,000.

How to budget correctly? ›

Try the 50/30/20 rule as a simple budgeting framework. Allow up to 50% of your income for needs, including debt minimums. Leave 30% of your income for wants. Commit 20% of your income to savings and debt repayment beyond minimums.

What are the 5 basics of personal finance? ›

There's plenty to learn about personal financial topics, but breaking them down can help simplify things. To start expanding your financial literacy, consider these five areas: budgeting, building and improving credit, saving, borrowing and repaying debt, and investing.

What are 3 key ways to manage your money? ›

These seven practical money management tips are here to help you take control of your finances.
  • Make a budget. ...
  • Track your spending. ...
  • Save for retirement. ...
  • Save for emergencies. ...
  • Plan to pay off debt. ...
  • Establish good credit habits. ...
  • Monitor your credit.

What is the #1 common denominator of financially successful people? ›

That said, work is the first part of being successful. The secret to financial success starts with doing what the financially unsuccessful aren't willing to do.

How to handle money wisely? ›

7 Money Management Tips to Improve Your Finances
  1. Track your spending to improve your finances. ...
  2. Create a realistic monthly budget. ...
  3. Build up your savings—even if it takes time. ...
  4. Pay your bills on time every month. ...
  5. Cut back on recurring charges. ...
  6. Save up cash to afford big purchases. ...
  7. Start an investment strategy.
Jun 27, 2023

How do I get my money under control? ›

5 Steps to Take Control of Your Finances
  1. Take Inventory—and Set Goals. ...
  2. Understand Compound Interest. ...
  3. Pay Off Debt and Create An Emergency Fund. ...
  4. Set Up Your 401(k) or Individual Retirement Account (IRA) ...
  5. Start Building Your Investment Profile.
Jan 9, 2024

How to start a budget in Ramsey? ›

HOW TO MAKE A BUDGET:
  1. Write down your total income for the upcoming. month. — This is your take-home (after tax) pay for both you. ...
  2. List ALL of your expenses. — This includes regular expenses (rent or mortgage, electricity, etc.) ...
  3. Subtract your expenses from your income. This. ...
  4. Track your spending throughout the month.
Nov 24, 2023

How do you answer a budget interview question? ›

To structure your answers effectively, you should use the STAR method, which stands for Situation, Task, Action, and Result. This method helps you to provide specific and concise details about your budget management experience, and to highlight your actions and outcomes.

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