First Steps: How I Prepared To Tackle My Personal Finances
Recently I heard a piece of advice which has shifted the way I view my finances. And it's so simple. "Give every dollar a destination at the beginning of the month. By establishing these boundaries, you won't worry about what you can and can't purchase because money that wasn't assigned at the beginning of the month can't be spent mid-month." - The Minimalists I honestly feel a little stupid that I've never considered it this way before. My first step on the road to money management was to sit down and work out my income vs outgoings for the month. And I was surprised by how little I was left with by the time I'd deducted "non-negotiables" (rent, car payments etc) and any debts, plus factored in the purchasing of general household purchases and putting petrol in my car. It was an eye opening experience and it's no wonder I'd been running out of money with my previous mindset of "buy now, worry later".
