3 simple budgeting tips
It’s commonly said that it takes money to make money. That is effectively true – those who live payslip to payslip with no spare cash have little to re-invest or save for a rainy day. However, if you take the time to re-evaluate your finances, you’ll realise that setting aside even the smallest of dollar amounts can really add up over a lifetime.
Remember these 3 numbers – 50/30/20
It’s simple in principle and in practice:
- Use up to 50% of your income for what you need
- Allow for up to 30% to spend on the fun stuff
- Save 20% for a rainy day, invest or your savings goal.
These numbers aren’t necessarily fixed; however, they provide a strong foundation for building healthy financial habits to help you achieve your goals.
Pay yourself first
When you get your paycheck, many people make the mistake of spending first, and then saving what is left over. The problem with this is that it doesn’t guarantee any savings; your savings become dependent on how much you spend each month (and often in a rather unplanned fashion).
A better strategy is to pay yourself first by setting aside a fixed percentage of your income towards saving and investing (for example the 20% from the numbers above), and then spending with what is left over.
Automation is your friend here, which can whisk the money straight out of your spending account before you have a chance to spend it. Setting up a recurring deposit into your Raiz account is one way to do this.
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Trimming the fat on your budget.
If you take a bird’s-eye view of your budget, you’ll soon see that there are a few types of outgoings from your pay. You can think of them as this:
- Investment/Rainy day funds
- Essential expenses you cannot change.
- Essential expenses that you can control.
- Non-essentials
The key is to make your essentials are lean as possible by finding alternatives or shopping around. For example:
- Many Aussies forget that basic household bills like electricity, gas, internet, and insurance can all be shopped and swapped. By switching providers, you can easily save hundreds off your annual spend! Raiz Energy can be of big help when comparing, and you’ll get up to $112 invested back into your Raiz account for switching!
- Buy in bulk (within reason): you may look like a madman for a moment, but it really pays off to buy non-perishable essentials in bulk.
- Try to pay for things upfront or on time – some providers will give discounts for on time payments or bulk payments (e.g. annual premiums for insurance can at times be cheaper than monthly)
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The information on this website is general advice only. This means it does not take into account any person’s particular investment objectives, financial situation or investment needs. If you are an investor, you should consult your licensed adviser before acting on any information contained in this article to fully understand the benefits and risk associated with the product.
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