Savings, so nice to have and use.
Everybody has goals and goals are good. They are so useful. When a goal is reached it is such a positive feeling to finally do the goal.
It is a simple but reasonable way to plan savings. Use a family profile to list the needs of the family. That way everyone is though of and that way more things are thought of and not missed.
By understanding the way goals are accounted for it makes it easier to create them, follow them and save for them. It is also important to understand which ones are very necessary and why they are needed. Emergency Savings when finally used takes stress off of the family budget. Retirement savings when started early has more time to develop into a larger amount by using the market place (investing) to let it grow.
Family profile:
Financial goals are based on the idea of what kinds of things a family needs and wants.
Start with a list of family members and their hobbies then figure out the bigger things all singles/families need. This is a family profile. Very useful. Should be looked at occasionally.
Short-term and long-term goals:
Use the list of goals in the family profile and rate them. Rate them as easy to budget for or unreasonable to budget for. Give them a short term or long-term designation. There are no simple answers here. Just do your best and stew over them for a while.
Small steps lead to big steps (small goals to big goals):
It is usually easiest to hi-lite a small goal and really try to save for it. One that only takes a few months. Once the goal is met and done there will be a feeling of satisfaction and success. Onwards to your second goal.
Always save something, especially for Emergency Savings, then go from there:
This is the most important Goal. Always save something towards it and then save some amount towards at least one other goal, even if it is only a little bit. Saving needs to be a habit plus it is a positive result.
Always try to pay down bad debt first but always save something:
Unfortunately, debt can get in the way of Savings. It is true that debt should be paid off asap and it should be a first priority. Savings are a big priority as well. People want something to look forward to. So at least save something towards Emergency Funds and try for something small. It has such a positive affect on people.
Some of the items families need and want as financial goals:
Home electronics, appliances and furniture, hobbies
Homes, vehicles, weddings, vacations, further education, home renovations
Savings depend on how much disposable cash that can be put into savings.
Estimating savings can be done by:
- guessing an amount
- just save any amount towards something and then see what it will get you
- use a simple planner from the internet and follow it
- use a complex planner from the internet and follow that.
It can be very daunting to try and figure out what to save for while also paying down debt. The thing though, is learning and planning will help the budget process and make financial decisions easier. In the long run, all of the effort will improve your financial results.