1.)The first thing is to see if you have a surplus or deficit. People get into credit card trouble when they have a deficit. This is achieved by tracking.
2.) Your goal is to run a 20% surplus each month and save to 3 months of your survival number explained below. You will need
3 months survival money in a money market account. That way if your ever in a financial emergency you have 3 months to get back on your feet.
3.) Write Down all incoming money. Pay check’s, rebates, refunds, reimbursements, everything that comes in, add up every month.
4.) Count how much money is spent each month. This will be the total amount that is out-going every the end of 3 months divide this number by 3 and that will be your survival number.
5.) Divide your out-going money into 2 categories. The 1st is hard expenses and the 2nd is soft. The difference is items like rent or a car payment are fixed, or hard. Soft items are like groceries that can change every month.
6.) Look at all your hard expenses and attack each item with the intent of lowering. If it’s rent, ask your landlord to lower. If it’s a cell phone bill, call and ask to lower. If a car loan, attempt to refinance a lower rate or payment.
7.) On your soft expenses, make a goal to lower each by 20%. So if your spending $500 a month on average on groceries, work to get this to $400.
8.) The function of counting incoming and outgoing money is compared to a business profit and loss statement. Add your money coming in and subtract the out going. The goal here is to create a surplus and invest this for the long term.
9.) If you have no revenue and a deficit you will need to work hard and soft expenses to the point you have a surplus. This could be a life changing event depending on your deficit. Work hard at this.
10.) If you have a surplus and revenue it’s time to disburse intelligently. Pay down all Consumer credit card debt to zero. Start with the smallest balances first to clean up house and then the largest with the highest APR next. Then you can start sending money to your survival number account and your on your way to financial fitness!
