Feature article: Budgeting &
Saving
Getting the most out of your money
Most of us want more things than we can afford.
There’s only so much money to go around. Getting most of
the things you want is a skill. Everything we do has a
trade-off, so we always have to keep that trade-off in
mind. What makes one person happy may not make another
person happy.
For example, what if you could make $100 if you have
a garage sale to get rid of things you don’t want? Is it
worth it? It depends.
What if you had to take two full days off work
without pay to do it and you get paid $10 an hour?
Unless you really like having a garage sale and spending
time that way, you probably wouldn’t do it. After all,
you would only make $100 and it would cost you $160 in
lost wages, plus the costs of an ad and supplies. You
would lose money.
On the other hand, if you are unemployed and already
have supplies, it wouldn’t cost more than the ad and
some of your time. Unless you really hate having a
garage sale and spending time that way, you probably
would do it. You could use resources on hand and only
spend money on the ad. Even if the ad costs $15, you’ll
still make $85.
People’s trade-offs aren’t always the same. To get the most out of your money, you have to figure out what you really want, think about what you have to give up to get it and go for it.
What do you want?
To get the most out of your money, get your family
together to plan ahead. Let everyone talk about what
they want and dream a little. Then talk about it some
more and make a list of things you want the most.
You may not have enough money right now to get everything you want, so decide what matters most. Try as hard as you can to set aside money each month for those things that will have to wait, even if it’s just a few dollars.
How much money do you have?
List everywhere you get money from, including what is
earned by all family members. Figure out how much money
is coming in. Remember all sources. Examples are your
paycheck, pension, farm income, rent, Social Security,
insurance, investments, help from relatives,
unemployment and welfare.
Once you have made a list of the money you have, refer to Making a spending plan in order to get the most out of your money.
 |
Site Administrator: |
|
|
|
Last update: Tuesday, May 05, 2009
