Do you earn a good income and at the end of the year ask yourself “Where did all my money go?”. I can see you sitting there nodding right now. You can take comfort in knowing that you are not alone as this is a very common puzzle for people. “Where does my money go?
So where does all your money go? Surely you can’t have spent it all …. or have you?
The trick to being successful with your money is to have control over your money. To do this you have to know where it is going. If you don’t keep an eye on it, it will run away and disappear into a black hole. There are holes in your wallets and purses that you probably just can’t image being there. You have to treat each piece of money like a piece of gold that you don’t want to let go of.
Here are some clues for you to consider so you can start to keep an eye on where your money goes
1. Try and identify what portion of your money is going on fixed expenses (such as bills and loan repayments) and what portion of your money is going on lifestyle / discretionary spending (such as groceries, entertainment, eating out, clothes)
Note down the expenses that you have to meet; such as bills, rent, mortgage payment, loan repayments etc Note down the expenses that are nice to have but aren’t absolutely critical. We will call these lifestyle / discretionary expenses (such as groceries, entertainment, eating out, clothes). How much of your money is being spent on lifestyle / discretionary expenses? (Lifestyle / discretionary spending is the area where most of the runaway money escapes from). How do your lifestyle / discretionary expenses compare to the money you are spending on fixed expenses / bills? Look for ways to reduce your lifestyle / discretionary expenses
2. Spend the time doing up a proper budget which will look at your likely future income and expenses
A budget should be a thorough record of all of your expenses across all areas such as fixed bills / commitments and lifestyle / discretionary expenses Ensure your budget is realistic and achievable Limit what you spend on lifestyle / discretionary expenses as this is optional spending and an area that you can get carried away on Allocate money in your budget for all foreseeable expenses and set some money aside for emergencies Don’t forget to provide money for items such as replacement of capital items such as buying whitegoods, repairs / renovations to your home In your budget put a portion of your money aside for savings In your budget include provision for funds to meet any goals If your budget runs into negative / deficit, then you will need to cut down your lifestyle / discretionary expenses or other optional spending until you reach at least a break even point
3. Look at your money habits
Try and identify particular times where you might be a bit frivolous
When you are in a particular mood When you have occasion to celebrate When it is someone’s birthday During particular times of the year Over festive seasons – Xmas / Easter When on holiday / away for weekends Out with certain friends / family members
Think about your pattern of spending
Do you spend first and deal with the consequences later? Do you shop around for a bargain? Do you stop and think / sleep on it overnight before rushing into a purchase? Do you ask for discounts off standard prices
4. Start to keep a record of what you are spending
Carry around a little note book and make a conscious effort to record what you spend cash / money on over a period of time Fill in your notebook on a daily basis updating it as you spend cash / money Review your notebook at the end of the day / week Keep all your receipts and dockets in one central place Use a spreadsheet to track your expenses and bills Track your total expenses over a week, fortnight, month Really keep an eye on your cash as this is what will vanish – you break into a $50 and before you know it you have coins rattling around in your wallet / purse Analyse what you have recorded and try and identify particular patterns / habits Make a particular note of any areas you are overspending Don’t stop doing this until you can say with confidence that you know where your money is going
5. Look for ways to stop the leakage such as
Following your budget Using money jars / envelopes for different expenses such as groceries, eating out, hairdressing, clothes etc Using separate bank accounts for different purposes such as bills, lifestyle, holiday, savings etc Setting up automatic transfers to distribute your pay to separate accounts for different purposes such as bills, lifestyle, holiday, savings etc Giving yourself a set allocation for lifestyle / discretionary expenses each week Being strong and if you spend all your money one week waiting it out until the following week Paying cash for items and not using credit / debt Limiting the purchases on credit cards
6. Remove access to temptations
Take the credit card from the wallet / purse Reduce the limit on the credit card Only keep minimal funds in accounts with debit card access Don’t draw out large amounts of cash and keep it in your purse / wallet Stop access to any savings account via debit cards Remove some accounts from internet banking access Have your savings account with a different bank so you can’t get internet access to it and put the money in your spending account
By: Heather A Wood
Posts Tagged Mortgage Payment
Credit Score Under 500
Oct 10
How can I get a loan with a credit score under 500? Having a credit score under 500 means that you will not qualify for a conventional mortgage refinance, however you may qualify for a hard equity loan, so called because it is based on the equity remaining in your home instead of your personal credit. If you do require a mortgage loan with a credit score under 500, more than likely you will probably be seeking an equity based lender. Since loan companies assume that customers with sub-500 credit scores have more difficulty in paying back their loans, the ratio of the monthly payments to monthly income is another factor in play.
Your credit score determines whether you will be, approved, declined, required to place a large down payment, or have to obtain good or very unfavorable terms for not only mortgages, home loans and cars, but for a variety of other things as well. Lender banks consider mortgage payment “lates” much more severe than credit card late payments, and punish homeowners with mortgage “lates” accordingly with higher interest rates and/or lower loan amounts. Most lenders out there will not accept loans with scores below 500. With credit scores below 500, a loan applicant must have positive compensating factors in other areas. For example, do you have only unsecured credit loans (high risk), or do you also have some solid secured loans such as mortgages and automobile loans.
Applicants with credit scores below 500 may still qualify for a mortgage if they have enough equity or a large down payment. So, if your home has equity you will be in a better position to obtain such a loan regardless of your payment history. If your score is in the low 500’s then chances are an interest only payment is not an option. In other words, he needs to prove that he has high income relative to his debts and that he has a bigger down payment. For that reason, it is usually best to try to bring your score up, either on your own or through a credit repair company, before obtaining a mortgage. Additionally your mortgage professional can advise you on how to improve your credit score.
Can I refinance my home with bad credit. Having a credit score under 500 means that you will not qualify for a conventional mortgage refinance, however you may qualify for a hard equity loan, so called because it is based on the equity remaining in your home instead of your personal credit. Even though you may have below 500 credit scores, with a good mortgage payment history you may be able to refinance and pay off some of the negative debt on your credit report. Before you know it, your credit profile will have greatly improved and you will be able to refinance into a much more attractive mortgage program. Therefore, you can see how credit and credit scores can play an important role in your life and with bad credit it can force you to pay higher interest rates, higher payments and higher premiums on numerous different items.
Your credit score is a large determining factor in the interest rate you will receive on your mortgage, and therefore the amount of your monthly payments. If you do have derogatory credit or late payments in your credit profile, the more recent the late payments are, the more negative the impact will be on your credit score. However, obtaining a mortgage and making the payments on time is perhaps the best and quickest way to raise your credit score.
How can I improve my credit score. One of the main ways to improve your credit score is obviously to pay your bills before they become 30 days or more past due. You can improve your scores by paying down the balance on the credit cards where the balance is at or near the high credit limit. Dispute any inaccuracies, and this alone sometimes improves your credit score. When disputing an item in your credit report, be sure to dispute it with all three credit bureaus, because reversing a negative item with one credit bureau does not improve your score with the other two.
If you are trying to establish credit to improve your score, getting a secured credit card from a local bank or credit union can establish credit history and be reported as a trade line. A good mortgage broker can offer advice and may even be willing to assist you with your credit and trying to improve your credit scores. Therefore, contact a personal mortgage consultant to discover what your options are and to map out a plan to improve your credit situation and get the financing that you need. In the end, any dollars you spend to make significant credit repairs will come back to you in the dollars you save month to month with your newly improved scores and available interest rates.
By: Darin Sewell