How to Pay Yourself First
Jason Miller
Helping Small Business Owners Pull Their Head Out of Their Ass | Keeping It Real | $300M In Business Systems/Strategy | Want To Duplicate Ours? | Chairman @ Strategic Advisor Board? | Grab My Free Book??
Understand your needs and wants
Understanding your needs and wants when paying yourself first is key to getting the most out of your payments. By understanding what motivates you, you can choose transactions that will help you reach your financial goals. Here are a few tips to get started:
- Track all of your expenses so that you can better understand where money is going and why. This will help you make more informed decisions about how to spend your money, and it'll also allow you to categorize expenses by purpose (e.g., groceries, bills, utilities).
- Set realistic budget goals for each month, and stick to them as much as possible. If something unexpected comes up or costs more than expected, be prepared to adjust your budget accordingly. But always aim high - You should want to be able to easily cover all of your baseline needs without putting too much stress on the bank account!
- Be Honest with Yourself When Making Payments - Sometimes we find it easier not To pay ourselves first because we're afraid our spending will show in our monthly statements (or worse yet - We might feel guilty!). However, if this is How You're treating Yourself then It's time To end That cycle Immediately! Honesty Is The Key To Creating Good Financial Habits That Stick!
Create budgeted goals
When you're paying yourself first, it's important to create budgeted goals in order to stay on track. Setting aside a certain amount of money each month specifically for your own needs is the best way to ensure that everything you spend goes towards your long-term financial goals. This will help you avoid overspending and allow you to live a life that is based on principles rather than debt.
Creating budgeted goals also helps keep you motivated, because once you've set some lofty objectives, it's easy to feel discouraged if they seem out of reach. However, by setting realistic expectations from the start, you'll be more likely to achieve them. And who knows? Maybe even surpassing your original targets will lead to even bigger things down the road!
Pay yourself first on a consistent basis
One of the most important things you can do to improve your financial situation is to pay yourself first. This means setting aside a fixed percentage of your income each month and investing that money into your future. Doing this will not only help you achieve long-term goals, but it will also give you peace of mind in terms of having enough money available when unexpected expenses arise.
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There are a number of ways to make paying yourself easy: set up a recurring deposit into an account that has low or no fees, open an individual retirement account (IRA), or invest in index funds through online brokerages. The best way to find out what works best for you is to experiment and see what makes the biggest dent in your overall budget!
Celebrate the small wins along the way!
It's easy to get caught up in the bad times and forget about all of the progress that has been made. It can be tough to keep a positive attitude when things are going wrong, but it is important to do so if you want to achieve your goals.
Instead of dwelling on the negative, try to focus on all of the small wins that have been achieved. Keep a record of everything - from small accomplishments at work to momentary triumphs with family and friends. When everything else feels too tough or difficult, take some time for yourself and review these records of success. They will help you stay motivated and focused during tougher times and ultimately lead to bigger achievements down the road.
Bottom Line
Being financially fit doesn’t just mean you can make amazing decisions but it also means that you treat your finances well. That is a promise!
If you want to move towards financial freedom, then start by treating yourself well. Pay yourself first and invest in a good financial planner who can help you out if necessary. Good luck!
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