Stop living check to check and give yourself a financial check-up.

Everyone who has ever held a job with an hourly wage knows the pain of living check to check. Budgeting can be arduous but well worth it if you do it right because seeing what you really spend versus what you THINK you spend can make all the difference in the world. A financial check up is personal evaluation of how we spend and where we can stand to cut some spending as well as ways to balance out our assets and liabilities. I'm also gonna talk about a few ways to cut cost without being a cheapskate.

So everyone has been to a doctor at one point in time. Even during a routine physical doctors always have some form of paperwork regarding your visit or your medical history. This is so they don't have to ask you anymore questions than necessary they have all the info they need written down for them before they even enter the room. A financial check up requires paperwork as well, your bank statement. Every transaction that comes out of your bank account is recorded on a monthly basis and archived for your personal review. While many people know this, very few realize how important it is. Most people think their credit is the only thing that matters when it comes to ones financial standing but your statement is just as important. It shows where your money is going, how much money you bring in on average and how often your balance reaches single digits or goes into the negative. Even with good credit, bad spending habits can make loan and mortgage applications fall under heavy scrutiny.

Here are some ways to bolster your financial health:

Budget: I know it can be tedious, especially for people who aren't big on math. Like I said before, though, seeing where your money actually goes can be a sobering experience. Many people who do a lot of impulse buys do so because they think they have more money to spare than they really do in the bank. Let's say you buy a snack and drink on every break you have at work. The snack costs $0.50 and the drink is $1.00. Before tax that's three bucks a day. Now that's not to bad right? Well you do it everyday 5 days a week and that's 15 bucks a week and that's low balling and skipping tax. To see how quick money can leave your pocket, try keeping a ledger of EVERYTHING you spend money on for two weeks. Gas, sodas, snacks, apps, meals, etc. anything that isn't free gets written down and I bet you the number will surprise you. Find ways to cut those expenses down without compromising like buying snacks in bulk rather than individually.

Find a side hustle: Am I suggesting you work more? Yes and No. Everyone has something they are good at and to quote the late Heath Ledger's Joker "If you're good at something, never do it for free." I, for example, love working with music and one of my new

side hustles is to sell my services as a producer, singer, and DJ. Is it work? Of course, I'm getting paid for it after all, but at the end of the day it didn't FEEL like work so I got paid to enjoy doing something I love. My wife loves making crafts. My brother loves to talk to and educate people. All you need to do is find something you're good at and share it...for a fair price.

Learn from the rich, teach to the poor: A lot of these Youtube rich guys that have these foolproof systems to get rich all have one thing in common. They had a mentor to show them the way. It's a sad reality that not all of these guys are on the up and up but a few that are legitimate make a living off of passing what they learned onto others. Whether it's books, seminars, or classes knowledge is always power. Real estate investment is the route my mentors all pointed me towards and I'm getting myself to a comfortable position financially because of it. Look up free seminars in your area to give yourself a good starting point as well as a chance to network with other like minded individuals.

Whether you want to be millionaire or just want to have financial freedom, it all starts with a healthy financial statement, a strong understanding of money and a solid budget. To help you out with that last one here is a free excel based budget that lets you plug in the numbers to see where you stand. Monthly Budget

What are some of the ways you guys save and earn money? Let me know in the comments and for more tips on how to keep your wallet full, be sure to subscribe.

#Finance #Money #Budgeting