It’s been awhile since we first introduced our Great Savings Tip (GST) series. Over the next few months, we’ll go back to our original list of tips and update it. We’ll pull some of the original tips off the list, add some new ones, and freshen everything up. Stay tuned…there’s lots more coming your way.

#1 Start A Savings Plan Today

Are you happy where you’re at financially?  Feeling stretched by ever rising costs?  Looking to start a savings plan, but don’t quite know how you’ll find the extra money to put aside?  If you’ve been looking for ways to improve your financial situation you’ve come to the right place.  Our Great Savings Tip Series is packed with ideas to help you build a brighter future. These are real tips, designed to put to work immediately.  Let’s get started…

Priorities And Planning

Spending less money or saving more isn’t just a matter of finding a good sale at your local department store or opening a savings account at the bank. It’s about developing a sense of priorities, establishing a budget and then sticking to a basic spending and savings plan. The first step in this process is to make a conscious decision you want to improve the quality of your life.

Sometimes, it’s necessary to sacrifice in the short-term to make that happen. And other times, it’s not so much about sacrifice as it is about finding good alternatives to the way you currently do the things you do. Either way, conscious decision-making is key. You need to decide you want something better and then find the willpower and fortitude to stick with the plan.

How would you like your life to change? Is a trip to a luxury resort in your future?

Changing the way you do things can be fun, especially as you start getting results. There’s really nothing as satisfying as deciding you want to get out of debt and then making it happen, or of seeing your savings account balance grow in front of your eyes. Suddenly, you’ll discover you have more resources and options than you thought were possible—for example, enough money for a new refrigerator, a nicer apartment, a trip to an exotic port, or even a college education.

It’s also important to realize that making big changes can feel difficult at times. For that reason, it’s best to share your goals with those closest to you. Find close friends or family members who also want to improve their financial situation. By working together you’ll end up with sympathetic shoulders to lean on—and that can really make a difference if you’re struggling. We’ll say more about this in our next tip.

Getting Off The Fence

The biggest obstacle for making real and lasting changes in life usually turns out to be as simple as getting out of our own way. What do I mean? You may know things aren’t working out for you the way they are, but you also may have been avoiding the decisions you’ll need to make if you ever want things to get any better. For that reason, today’s tip is really about deciding to take that first step to get down off the fence. After all, don’t you want a life filled with promise? If you’re ready to start saving money, ready to get out of debt, start saving for your kids education, or seeking ways to begin building long-term wealth you’ve come to the right place. Stay tuned, we’re about to begin an amazing journey on our way toward building a brighter future.

Are you still trying to decide which way to jump? The only sure way to improve your finances is to start making changes today.

Action Item: Get out a piece of paper and write down 3 or 4 of your top financial goals for the next 5 years. Do you want to cut debt by $2000? Be debt free? Do you want to buy a car? Do you want to buy a house? Do you want to save $5000? Do you start building a retirement fund and have a $2500 balance by the end of the year? Do you want to save up for a trip to some exotic location? It doesn’t matter what your goals are. Just try to be as specific as you can. And once you’ve got goals set, hang the paper in a place you’re bound to see on a daily basis. That way, you’ll have a good reminder to stick with the program.

This tip is part of our Great Savings Tip Series. Click here for a list of all our tips.

By Bob Anderson
© 2012 Javabird LLC.  All rights reserved.

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Having trouble just getting by from day to day? Discover
a neat trick for managing cash. Check out:

“Running Cash Flow: First Aid For Your Wallet“

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