How Can I Improve My Finance This Year?

in #finance7 years ago


Welcome to 2018! It's time we talk about our finances. We live in a busy world, where you have to work hard to earn some money. Despite that, there are some important things that may be needed, but because of low finances it may be difficult to attain. The issue of finance affects everyone, even the rich. There are also some habits that may hurt financially. Let's consider some of these.


Image Credit: MagnifyMoney

Immoderate Debt

It is not wrong to borrow money, but before borrowing one has to really think if it is really needed.
A wise man once said,

A borrower is a slave to to the lender.
When you borrow funds, you are actually enslaving yourself.

With this in mind, one has to think carefully before borrowing funds. In my neighbourhood, many have become hypertensive because of debts they owe. They worry about how to pay back. Imagine a scenario where someone borrows money with the mind to pay back in a month's time, then when it is time to pay back, his situation then gets worse. It is better not no borrow, if there are other means you could work with.


Image Credit: ICGFP

Diversification In Sources Of Income

Personally, I feel it is wrong to rely in just one source of income, especially when you are working for someone. Your employer may come one day and say he has financial challenges of his own and let you off. There's an English proverb that says "One should not put all his eggs in one basket." Having just one source of income can be compared to riding a unicycle with one tyre, it is unstable. When you get a bicycle (having two tyres) it is more stable. A tricycle (with three tyres) is even best and more stable when compared to the rest. And then a vehicle is better than the other three, because it is more stable. A tyre is like a source of income, with many sources of income an individual is also more stable.


Image Credit: QuoteFancy

Balancing Earnings And Spending

Only an unwise person would spend more than he earns. Maintaining a balance between earnings and spendings is really important. If there is no balance, you might end up spending money even before it comes. No one wants to get broke because of poor decisions, so we have to consider many factors before spending.

One way to balance earnings and spendings is setting financial goals. If you save or invest funds for future use this would cause improvements in your financial life. In the crypto world this is knowing as HODLing, you HODL no matter how low the value of the coins might be right now, because of future thoughts.

Image credit for first photo: Zenythlife

Thanks for reading :)



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Great advice @jaff8 Finances are soo improtant but it seems like not too many people are ready to talk about them. I agree 100% that while some debt can be good, it is best to think that Debt should be avoided. I see two kinds of debt:

  • Business Debt - This is debt you use to grow an asset or a business. I borrowed a small amount of money to buy a piece of land that I was farming. I already had an income stream and I made sure the monthly payment (around $100 per month) and the loan terms (5 years at 4.5%) were doable for me, and so I went for it. The business pays the loan, but even in a pinch i have some savings to pay a few months if i fall behind. I also borrowed from a family friend, so even if i miss a payment, he wont foreclose on me like a bank would. Thus, debt is better obtained through informal channels as opposed to banks, whenever possible.
  • Consumer Debt: Consumer debt is debt we take on to improve our lifestyle. This debt is very dangerous. If what you are going to buy with borrowed money will not make you more money in the future, it is probably a bad idea. Credit card debt is very dangerous.

Student loans I would consider to fall under the first type of debt, as hopefully you will earn more once you get a degree (but even then avoiding student debt can be a very smart thing to do).

I also strongly agree with diversification of income and balancing spending with investing. Very good advice. Thanks for the post!

Thanks for your contribution. Debt is really broad.

That balancing earning and spending part really got me. A lot of people don't spend in accordance with their earning. That never ends well

Yeah. Such actions will eventually make people have regrets.

@jaff8 lovely post Many many happy returns of the day Bitcoin
and whats about my B'day tomorrow on Jan. 5th
GIFT me generously wanna start Altcoin Hedge Fund Startup
BTC: 1JydjBwdbNTruAHwaXXvpwyvLHQxEFiUeT
ETHER: 0x1910D1742b22275d1B124a936ae4732E67B50086
BTC Cash: 15Z55LFtzxmfaRuhgu3kkVkZAppjKnXn1a

Nice post keep posting
Happy new year

I wish you and everyone else reading this message a great amount of energy and determination to achieve anything you can dream of!

Inspiring read! Thanks for sharing!

This is so very true. One has to try and avoid borrowing because things don't always go the way we plan... This post just made me remember something I heard some years back "spend what is left after saving"... Thanks for this @jaff8

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