The first quarter of 2023 is drawing to a close, making this the perfect time to review your finances and make adjustments for the year ahead. Are there easy things you can do now that will improve your financial health? The answer is ‘yes’ – and we’re here to help!
The prospect of reviewing your financial position can seem daunting. Our simple steps will help you get started, so that you can enjoy healthier finances for the rest of 2023.
Set Financial Goals
Personal goals are familiar to many of us: whether we’ve got a holiday coming up and want to get in shape by the summer, or have decided that 2023 will be the year that we finally run that marathon, setting aims – and making plans to achieve them – is a process by which many of us find fulfilment. Why should financial goals be any different?
Now that 2023 is underway and taking shape, it’s a great time to fine-tune your goals. Is 2023 the year in which you wish to make savings? Or are you planning to invest? Or perhaps, by the end of the year, you want to have paid off a particular credit card or loan? Whatever your current position, take a bit of time now to assess any goals you’ve already set and correct course if necessary – or set some new ones entirely, and formulate a sensible plan that will help you make progress (nothing too extreme, though – money management should feel manageable!).
Live Within Your Means
‘Don’t spend more than you earn’ sounds like a simple premise, but in practice it can be tricky; so we’d recommend setting some parameters to help you stay on course. If you don’t have a monthly budget that tracks income and outgoings create one; if you do, assess this now, alongside your bank statements, and think about any patterns that are emerging. Are there easy hacks you can take advantage of to save a bit of extra cash (something as simple as carrying a reusable water bottle with you, so you don’t have to buy drinks on the go), or are there areas where you know you’re not sticking to the budget (the weekly grocery shop, for instance)? Now is the time to make changes!
Once you’ve assessed your budget and tweaked problematic areas, have a look at the overall health: you should be able to see which areas are essential (bills, for instance); which are non-essential, but nice to have right now (leisure activities or new clothes); and which are desirable for the future ( savings or a holiday fund). If you can, make a few tweaks to improve your financial health on a monthly basis. Aim to allocate 55% of your income to essentials; 30% to non-essentials; and 15% to desirables.
Ditch Expensive Debt
Living with debt is, for many of us, the norm. Whether it’s a student loan or a credit card, borrowing money now and then is essential – and, when supported by advice from a financial expert, can often be a healthy option. However, it is possible to end up with debt that is more expensive than it needs to be (higher-than-expected interest rates, for example) and/or hard to keep on top of (multiple loans from multiple providers, all with different payment amounts and dates, for instance).
A great way to improve your financial health is to think about taking out a personal loan to cover all existing debts – with more favourable terms. Financial experts like Cherry Godfrey will be able to help find the best deal for you. At the very least, you won’t have multiple payments to think about; better still, with access to the most competitive financial solutions on the market, it’s likely that we’ll be able to facilitate an arrangement that ends up reducing your monthly payments (and the amount of interest you pay overall) – simplifying your affairs and saving you money in the long term.
If you’d like to discuss your current financial situation, or if you have any questions about our products, please submit a callback request today. Our team would be delighted to help: offering advice and support, as well as devising the best solution for your needs. We look forward to getting started!
