Feeling broke sucks, owing money sucks. Isn’t it time you stopped simply surviving and started living the dream?
Everyone has different dreams, and likewise financial freedom looks different to everyone, but the pathway to financial freedom is pretty consistent. In this blog we are going to focus on the first steps to achieving financial freedom, including:
- What’s preventing you from living the dream
- What is financial freedom
- Why just earning more won’t work
- The mistake 86% of Australians are making when it come to their money
- How you too can be in the top 14%.
What’s preventing you from living the dream?
We all have things we would love in life. That dream car, your dream home, that dream holiday, that dream adventure, that dream course, that dream boat. It really doesn’t matter what the dream is, we all have them, and we always will. What’s stopping us from fulfilling these dreams?
Money would be the number one answer. Sure, you will achieve some of these goals over a period of time, but to achieve more, you really need to establish financial freedom.
What is financial freedom?
Financial freedom is being able to have what you want without having to worry if you can you afford it. It’s buying the house that your family dreams of and still having the funds to pursue your other interests. It’s about retiring early or about taking a long holiday every year without straining the budget. Dream big and get specific about your goals.
Does this way of thinking sound unattainable to you?
It doesn’t have to be, financial freedom is more achievable than you may think.
Why just earning more won’t help?
Do you ever think that if you just earned more, then money won’t be a problem? Unfortunately, you’re wrong.
In fact, nearly 70% of lottery winners end up broke or worse off than before their big win, and one third go on to declare bankruptcy! Why? Because they never learnt how to manage their money.
Likewise, the professional sports fields are littered with sports stars that made millions and ended up destitute.
Unless you can manage your money well, it doesn’t matter how much you earn.
STEP ONE TO FINANCIAL FREEDOM:
Imagine having a bucket with a big hole in the bottom of it. We take the bucket to the tap, and try to fill it up with water. We realise that the water is leaking out of the bucket. Will opening the tap, so more water comes out faster, help us in our attempt to keep the bucket filled?
No, the best thing we can do is either get a new bucket, or fix the hole in the one we have.
The best place for us to start is by getting our bucket water tight. We do this by…
Create a spending plan
According to a study by UBank, reported in Money Magazine
“a staggering 86% of the Australian population doesn’t know how much money they are spending every month”.
Do you want to be in the 14% of people in control of their money? I think I know the answer to that – you’ve committed to reading this blog for starters!
You’ve got to be a little bit weird to love budgets. Even the word “budget” can leave you feeling yuk. It’s a perception issue, budgets seem hard and not something you can commit to, and I understand that.
Let’s overcome that feeling by developing a spending plan. A spending plan is not meant to be a strict budget. Instead, it’s a guide that will help you take control of your financial future and, ultimately, fulfill your dreams.
If you want to change your life financially, a spending plan is a non-negotiable. It’s a must have tool in your financial freedom kit. With a spending plan you’re no longer in the bottom 86%, of Australian’s – you’re in the top 14% – and who doesn’t want to be there?
I feel very comfortable saying that most people that are in control of their money have a spending plan. Most people whose money controls them don’t. Which do you want to be?
Rather than another day feeling broke — wondering if you’ll have enough money to pay your next bill, saving nothing, and getting deeper into debt – it’s time to say goodbye to stressing about your money and start building a financially secure future.
Unfortunately, creating a spending plan is something that many adults were either never taught or have failed to implement, and yet it is essential to your financial freedom – and peace of mind.
Although spending plans are most commonly referred to as a budget, this term can make some people feel restricted. But a spending plan is simply a plan you create to help you make sure you can meet your expenses and spend money the way you want to spend it. A good spending plan can help you stop “spending leaks”, in other words, it can keep you from spending money without thinking – keeping that bucket full.
A spending plan is something that you can develop (ideally with your partner or spouse if you’re married) that records what money you have coming in each month. It then identifies what expenses you have each month.
The more detailed and accurate you can be, the more in control you will be of your money – and ultimately the more likely you are to achieve financial freedom.
Once that you have listed all your income or earnings, and all your expenses, you can calculate each month how much money you have available for savings or investment.
By simply listing your expenses, you can visually understand where you’re spending your money – what expenses are necessary, or where you can make change to increase your savings.
When you implement a new spending plan, it may take a few months before you get into the groove and anticipate all your costs accurately, but stick with it – it’ll be worth it. Before long, it should only take you a few minutes each month to accurately review and update your spending plan. What’s a few minutes when you’re building a financially free future?
The Fix Bad Credit team have developed a free spending plan template you can use to help you get started. Get in touch if you want some help with it.
