Painless Ways to Improve Your Financial Health

There are two ways to have more money and it's a pretty easy formula. Make more or spend less. Do both together and you will get ahead. This article is not about complicated financial strategies, but rather about how everyday financial choices can add up for you to reach your goals.

First, of course, you need to have a goal. It should be fairly specific. Pay off credit cards, take a nice vacation, pay for a wedding, buy a car with cash. All good and valid. But you need long term goals also, such as retirement, and paying off the mortgage. As you can see this is a strategy that will eventually lead to ongoing changes, much like successful dieters who don't just jump on fad diets every month, but change their eating habits for life.

So how can you make more money? Obviously a part time job is a great way to do this. Many part time jobs are incredibly flexible. Home sales and things in that category can be very workable and enjoyable. How about selling things on Ebay, half.com, Amazon? All are simple once learned, and are an easy way to bring in cash. Once you have the cash, make sure it goes immediately toward whatever your number one priority goal may be at the time. Do not fritter this away or let it be sucked into the regular budget. You have a budget don't you? Even a basic budget is needed to proceed to the next section, which is, spend less.

Be honest. Sure you can budget in $200 a month for eating out, but is that really the best use of that money? You work hard for that money, is that the best way that money can pay you back? Re-evaluate your habits and you will save. Shop and plan meals and you will save. Change your eating out to dollar menu items...no extras and no soda...and you will save. Rent movies, don't buy them. Save all your change in a jar and roll it regularly to put it right toward your #1 goal. Don't take it to the little machines. That's like throwing money out the window. Roll it yourself.

A nifty little trick is to round up each purchase by debit or check. Debit groceries that cost $34.45, you deduct 35.00. Write a check for $20.77, you deduct $21.00 Automatic deposit come in of 350.40, you only add in $350.00. You can even go nuts and deduct more than the change amount. Every month after you reconcile your checkbook (you do that at least every month, don't you?) transfer the extra directly an account for your goal, or to the credit card or whatever.

Use BillPay (make sure it's free) and just throw extra money on the bills the minute you get it. You don't need to just pay a bill once a month. Do it as soon as you have extra and you won't be tempted to spend it.

Don't go crazy about sales. A 50-dollar dress on sale for $25 is not saving you $25, it is costing you $25. Don't buy it at all. Coupons can be good but only if it were for what you really use and only if the store brand would be more or is not tolerable. New clothes are really a waste. They are new exactly one time. You wash them and they are the same as a thrift shop purchase. If you need to buy new be very diligent with sales. Only buy clearance that is marked down to huge discounts. I recently bought quite a few clothes items for grandkids' gifts, and the items were 2.97 each. Original price $25.00. I was happy to get nice items so cheaply, but I was also aghast that anyone would have actually paid $25.00 for a 3 year olds jeans.

So much of this is simply logic. Make a little more; spend less, save toward the goal with the result. You'll feel a lot better. I guarantee it.