If you are looking to get better with your finances this year, whether you hope to achieve financial freedom or get out of debt, it all begins with forming good money habits.
Here are 20 money habits you should adopt this year to stay on top of your finances and maintain a bulletproof lifestyle. Let’s get right into it.
Save something every month
Normalize putting away something every month from your earnings. On no account should you use up all your salary without saving some.
Budget!
Budget your income. Put a plan to it and stick with it. Know where your money is going.
Pay off Debt
If you have credit cards, loans, or money you owe someone, make arrangements to start paying them off. A debt-free life is a happy and carefree life. Being debt-free is part of your journey to financial freedom.
Embrace DIY
Start doing things yourself. Try your hands-on things. Your first attempt may not be great, but subsequent efforts will be better.
Repurpose and Recycle
Don’t be in a hurry to throw things into the trash can; think of what else you can use them for or recycle them.
Declutter and Resell
If you have stuff in your house that has not been useful in the past two years, start thinking of ways to declutter them or give them to charity.
Live below your means
This is as simple as it sounds. Do not live above your means. If you earn 2000 pounds, live on 1800 pounds.
Invest in yourself
Buy books, do courses, learn a trade, acquire a skill, get the education, talk to an expert, grow your money, attend my investing Master-classes. If you have a skill that can fetch you money, improve on it and be proactive about converting the skills to money.
Invest your money
Don’t just invest in yourself, invest your money in other assets. Put your money where it will grow wealth, not under your bed. Invest in property, stocks and shares, funds and commodities
Maximise your purchase
When you buy a product, try and use it all up before putting it in the bin. So, Squeeze the tube, scrape the bottom, and ensure you finish it before throwing away the container.
Pay Cash
Avoid spending credit as much as possible. I once shared a tweet of a guy who said if he has 20,000 dollars, he won’t care about his credit score or report. People responded that it was better to spend credit than cash, and I was astounded because it’s better to pay in cash and avoid credit purchases.
Organise your Space
An organized space is an organized mind, and an organized mind is an achieving mind. An organized space helps you know what you have and don’t have, thereby preventing you from buying things you already have.
Buy Second-hand
There are things worth buying second-hand like furniture, arts, and books. Don’t be quick to turn up your nose at second-hand items. Vintage is gorgeous.
Buy Store Brands
It is ok to buy store brands. Stop avoiding them. Many stores have good quality products within their brand name that are affordable. One of my favourite cereals from Tesco is a shop brand. It saves you money while giving you value.
Shop Smart
When I say shop smart, I mean you should use a grocery list, check comparison websites, use vouchers, look for discounts and use them when making your purchases.
Forget Brand Loyalty
Be loyal only to your money and the value you are getting. Being brand loyal can cause you to miss out on amazing deals offered by other brands.
Use the Return Function
The return policy is there for a reason. If you buy clothes that don’t fit, return them. If you purchase a pair of jeans that turned out to be too small for you, do not keep them for when you will lose weight; return them.
Give
When you give, it will come back to you. Give to the less privileged. Give to food banks, give to charity. The Newham food bank is my favourite food bank because it feeds people who are less privileged in Newham.
There are food bank trolleys in many grocery stores; try to put something in them. Don’t forget the scripture in the holy book that says “…good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over shall men give unto you”.
Unfollow the Big Spenders
Yes! Unfollow those Instagram accounts where you are constantly pressured into buying things you cannot afford. These people are always showing off their expensive cars and expensive vacations.
If you don’t unfollow them, you may find yourself hustling to keep up with the Joneses, and if you can’t keep up, you will be miserable. So, you’re either going to go into debt or get miserable, neither of which is good for you.
Be an Active Part of the Bulletproof Community
If you want to acquire financial knowledge that will help you on your journey to financial freedom, being an active part of my Bulletproof community is the first step. You can subscribe to my Youtube channel, join my Instagram community or enrol in any of my financial coaching programs.
Till next time
Love
Ronke O.