10 Things You Can Do To Fix Your Finances

 

Most, if not all, of us, want to have more financially, right?

Wherever you are right now – whether you’re only earning enough for you to live by, or you are trapped in a web of debts, or you just want to modify your financial skills to accomplish a major life goal, these ten things will help you improve financially and have a happier, debt-free life.

In our research, we found that a higher degree of self-awareness about one’s finances translates into feedback about past successes and failures with money, lower uncertainty about the strengths and weaknesses of the current finances, and clarity regarding how to move forward. — Utpal Dholakia Ph.D.

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  1. Learn To Budget. If you’ve just entered into a new stage in life, like marriage or having a baby, then you must learn how to budget your money from now on. Begin by arranging your expenses list and your goals list, then set up a budget If you already have one but you’re having difficulty making ends meet, find out where you need to cut on, so you will know which part of the budget you need to fix.

 

  1. Cut Your Regular Payments. This can make a big impact on your changing your financial picture. To lower your electric bills, turn off lights that you’re not using and unplug appliances when you’re out of the house. When grocery shopping, prepare a list that you can bring because you will tend to buy useless things if you don’t prepare one. Also, buying at discount stores or items for sale will help you save a lot.

 

  1. Have Your Cable Disconnected. This costs a lot, and if you’re just starting a family with a baby and just your spouse, chances are you’d be out of the house mostly for work, and your wife would also be at work or tending to your baby. The Internet has blessed us with so many movies we can watch for free!

 

  1. No More Eating Out. This is one of the most practical ways to save a lot of money, as food in the restaurants cost twice compared to food cooked at home. And don’t forget the health benefits of eating without much of the additives from restaurant or takeout food. If you don’t usually go home for lunch, then pack yourself one. You’re in for a surprise a month after when you check your savings.

 

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  1. Invest Wisely. Find a financial advisor near your area who can teach you tutorial lessons or you can enroll in short courses. You might need to spend a little but not for long, though. Learn from the financial advisor or someone in the family who knows about investment, so you can start putting some of your money in the stocks or other businesses. Start small.

 The trick is to pay attention to your regularly needs and to find stress management strategies that allow you to let it out. Once you’ve identified your strategy, you’ll then need to take action and put it into practice. — Marni Amsellem, PhD

  1. Aim For Realistic Goals. Work on goals that are related to the work you’re aligned with or the business you want, and of course, the income you’re bringing in. This ensures that your goals are realistic. If you’re making $40,000 a year, don’t aim to pay the same amount of debt that you earn, or else that would be insane, right?

 

  1. Don’t Get A Credit Card. Getting one is a surefire way of incurring more debts than you can handle. It’s not the solution to making ends meet – saving is. If you already have one, then cut it off.

 

  1. Make Weekly Savings. If you were able to save a few dollars from your grocery shopping, then save that immediately. Don’t add it to your money for the next week. Whatever little amount you save from cutting off from your bills, set it aside.

 

  1. Look For Other Ways To Earn. If you’ve been spending wisely and your budget is being followed, then perhaps the problem is not in the spending but the earning. You can try looking for a higher-paying job, or you can learn to find other ways to earn, like selling food and other items or working part-time online.

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  2. Choose The Appropriate Kind Of Insurance. Insurance may be a little costly but it is important. A practical move would be to just choose what kind of insurance you’re going to get, the ones that are more relevant to you, like health, home, or car insurance. Those are at the top list of priorities that you can have insured initially.

Under ideal health insurance, …, accurate consumer information is a positive. The reason is that the insurer and the insured are on the same team, with a similar interest and objective: acquiring good value in a competitive market. — John C. Goodman Ph.D.

If we have missed other ways that are equally important and useful, do let us know!

 

 

 

Reducing The Risks Of An Accounting Career

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Accountants may be a part of the lucrative group of professionals, but their job is one of those that encounter several pitfalls too, and they are in for a risky ride. Accountants need to be accurate in processing and documenting financial details of a company, whether it’s big or small. With the numbers that they’re dealing with every day, they can commit errors, especially if they’ve been working for long hours. When sleep deprivation and stress sets in, even their physical and mental health is affected as well.

So, to the professional accountants and looking-to-become the best accountants in the future, here are some tips to help you reduce the risks that you encounter throughout your accounting career.

Grad school is more than undergrad life on steroids; it requires developing the ability to think, write, work, and research increasingly independently. It can be a heady time for many people and a real downer for others. If you are not self-motivated and a self-starter, you might want to think twice. — Dana S Dunn Ph.D.

Continuing Education

For one to be a licensed accountant, he needs to earn a bachelor’s degree. It may be possible for him to get a job without it if he, say, has some experience and some college years. However, there will be missed opportunities for promotion and advancement. Even having a bachelor’s degree might not get you one, seeing as to how many accountant graduates there are yearly. Other employers prefer a master’s degree, so if you have the time and resources, it would be wise to study for another few more years. It’ll all be worth it.

 

Stressors

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A lot of accountants are categorized as exempt employees, meaning that they don’t aren’t qualified to ask for overtime pay per the Fair Labor Standards Act. This also means that they won’t be given extra pay for work outside office hours, particularly for tax season or book closing during the end of the month and fiscal year-end. All these can become stressors, along with other issues. Staff cuts and economic recessions can also lead to overwork and more stress.

Defined as the beliefs regarding one’s capabilities for a particular task or endeavor, self-efficacy has been shown to have multi-faceted benefits, from experiencing a greater interest in life activities and greater commitment in chosen goals to quicker recovery from setbacks. — Utpal Dholakia Ph.D.

Salary

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In 2011, the yearly salary for accountants was a little more than $70,000, as stated in a report from the Bureau of Labor Statistics. However, 10% of these accountants were only earning close to $40,000, which proves that being an accountant is not always a profitable career. Also, from 2011 until today, the job growth was noted to be 16% (more or less). Ultimately, this goes to show that accountants who are paid higher are those that have acquired advanced degrees.

Physical And Mental Health

Accounting does not require much movement; thus, it’s not a ‘physical’ profession. An accountant’s task involves reading and writing on books, which mostly is done sitting at the front of a desk – not very healthy at all. Researchers in several universities have found that sitting for hours or not doing any active activity in a day increases one’s risk of developing heart disease, diabetes, and other debilitating conditions. Accountants and other employees who do desk jobs are advised to do at least 30 minutes of exercise to keep themselves physically and mentally healthy.

Older adults face unique life conditions that can contribute to stress, including declining health and loneliness. Conversely, stressful conditions can cause people to become physically and psychologically ill. — John Smith Ph.D.

Employment Opportunities

Accountants are privileged to work in any field that they might find attractive or stimulating. They can apply for the government, as many departments in the government entail financial transactions. Private companies hire a lot of accountants as well. In fact, they are one of the most important and sought-after professionals in big and small-scale businesses all over the world. But as mentioned above, chances are higher if you get into continuing education courses.

 

Conclusion

Indeed, accountants are among the world’s most vital workers, but the risk of being one is also equally crucial. An accountant must, therefore, learn to balance working to be successful and living a life that is healthy and stress-free.