Here are the 5 best tricks to help you become financially responsible in 2020

2019 is over, taking all your financial mistakes with it.
This new year presents another opportunity to do things differently.
Below are the tips you need to be financially responsible and achieve your money goals.

Want to be financially responsible in 2020? Then you need to do the following:

Create and stick to a spending plan (budget)

The first place to start is by making a plan. Preferably, you should have an overall monthly plan and then a weekly one that ensures you do not go overboard with your spending. For instance:

Salary: N100,000

Subtract bills: N20,000

Remainder: N80,000

There are 4 weeks every month. Divide this remaining N80, 000 into 4 for each week. This could be N20, 000 every week.

Budget gif(Giphy) Pulse Live Kenya

Just make sure it covers everything from transport, food to other daily expenses. To further increase your chances of sticking to your spending plan, withdraw exactly what you need for each week and do your best to spend just that.

Leave your card at home and carry mostly the cash you need. You should have a little extra for emergencies.

ALSO READ: Are your friends preventing you from hitting your financial goals? Here’s how to find out

Track your expenses

Knowing where your money goes helps you find your spending leaks and figure out how to cut back on unnecessary spending. You can track your expenses with certain apps or by using a spreadsheet.

Track all your expenses to know how much you have spent. ece-auto-gen

Save with weekly or monthly automated withdrawals

A quick poll online showed that many Nigerians want to save more this year. You can do by setting a specific goal like saving for rent or emergency fund or vacation then set aside a particular amount that is automatically withdrawn from your account as soon as your salary comes in.

To illustrate:

Salary: N200,000

Expenses: N150,000

Automatic savings: N50,000

With automated withdrawals, you have nothing stopping you from putting money away regularly.

Always shop with a list

Making a list before you leave your home to the store makes it easy for you to make smarter spending decisions. By sticking to it, you can resist the temptation to buy things you do not need.

Shopping list Pulse Ghana

Avoid borrowing

The best way to avoid going broke and having to deal with debts is by creating an emergency fund. This means you have something to turn to when those unexpected expenses come out of nowhere.

You should set aside a particular amount that goes into your emergency fund as soon as your salary comes in. Remember. this is an emergency fund so make sure it is an emergency, not a situation caused by spending recklessly.