7 Easy Tips for Maintaining your Personal Finances

According to a report released by the Federal Reserve in May of 2015, Americans were carrying more than $11.86 trillion in total debt with over $900 billion of it sitting as outstanding credit card balances. 

As a nation of debtors, it is important for all American to understand how to properly manage their finances in order to maintain financial stability or it will lead to financial strain and suffering.

Managing Personal Finances

Unfortunately, they don't offer classes in high school or college regarding personal finance management techniques. Many people are learning to manage their personal finances via a trial by fire. 

For many, by the time they learn the best techniques for managing their personal finances, they are already well in debt and are struggling financially. It is a shame because simple financial mistakes can end up destroying one's financial security. 

Managing personal finances is the process of finding the appropriate balance between one's income and what they want and need in their lives. Having a budget will let one live with a sense of freedom knowing that they will always be able to afford the things they need and within reason being able to buy the things they want. 

They will also have a good savings in the cases of “rainy days” and other types of emergencies.

Before you over-commit and find yourself fighting off creditors while watching your credit score take a dive, these seven easy tips for maintaining your personal finances might be enough to save the day.

1. Live within Your Means – When that new shiny car or when that new piece of technology comes out, many people jump at the urge to buy it whether they can truly afford it or not. The biggest mistake you can make is renting an apartment or buying a car you can't afford. If you consistently live within your means, financial difficulties will have trouble finding you. When in need of a loan, one can always leverage the equity of their home. It is important to become familiarized with Home Equity Loan Rates.

2. Prepare a Monthly Budget - At the beginning of each month, you should put together a comprehensive cash basis budget that reflects your anticipated income and how you intend to spend it. Having cash on hand is a great way to help you avoid using your credit card excessively.

3. Avoid Using Credit Cards - Credit cards should not be treated as an extension of your buying power and should be reserved for emergencies. The cash in your bank is what you can truly afford. This helps keep your credit card payments low and you out of debt.

4. Track Your Spending - The best way to find out if you are wasting money is to track all expenditures. Over time, it will become clear where cuts need to be made.

5. Use Coupons - Always be on the lookout for coupons online or through the mail. Features like discountrue coupon for sears.com can save you a lot of money over a year's time.

6. Purchase Insurance - Buying insurance feels like a waste of money all the way up to the time something happens and you need it. Then it's as good as gold.

7. Avoid Eating Out - On average, eating out costs 200%-300% more than fixing the same meal at home. Surely the time you will spend shopping and cooking is worth the effort considering the savings.

In the long run, it is incumbent on you to know how to manage your finances. The earlier you learn to be responsible with your money, the more likely you are to get to retirement financially secure. That's how you make the golden years special.