Control, Alt, Delete: Reset your approach to money in 2017
We are officially a quarter of the way into the new year. So how are those new year’s resolutions tracking?
If you resolved to eat healthier, sleep more, or actually attend that pump class that’s been in the diary since forever – you should hopefully be brimming full of energy by this point.
If you instead resolved to improve your financial health, but aren’t finding your pockets overflowing with much else aside from empty kale chip packets, you may need to take a different approach.
Just like with your physical health, it can be difficult to make long-lasting progress with your financial health, without resetting your approach in full.
Below are four easy financial habits that could help you reset your approach to money in 2017, and create a financially healthier new you.
1) Think outside the box – and on your phone
It’s 2017, which means there are countless mobile apps which can help you do, well, just about anything really. This can help to turn any type of financial goal into a game of sorts.
Whether you want to create a budget, spend more efficiently, save for retirement, learn how to invest, send invoices for your side hustle – there’s a reason Apple invented the term “there’s an app for that™”.
But even if apps aren’t your thing (yes, these people do exist), your phone can still come in handy in other ways. As an example, getting into the habit of taking photos of your receipts and storing them electronically means you won’t ever have to keep track of a bunch of fading bits of paper come tax time.
These small habits are oh-so-easy, but can make a huge difference in the long run.
2) Think long term
We’ve all probably been guilty of this at some point – thinking and living month-to-month when things are a little tight. But creating a solid financial future may require looking a tiny bit beyond your next pay check.
How much money are you making today? How much would you like to be making? And what do you need to do to bridge the gap between these two figures? Spending up on a course to upskill yourself may cause short term financial pain, but it could result in long term financial gain.
Thinking about the various ways you might be able to invest in your future can be a great step towards building yourself a new financial future.
3) Ditch the DIY approach
DIY is awesome when growing a garden, building a bookshelf, or creating unique pieces of jewellery. There are some things, however, which truly require expert assistance.
Electrical work, root canals, and your financial life are all better left to a professional. How can an accountant, financial planner, or investment advisor simplify your financial life in 2017?
This goes back to the notion of taking a long term view and investing in yourself. The short term cost of hiring a professional is almost guaranteed to be offset by a greater long term gain.
4) Find new revenue streams
These days it’s all about the “side hustle” – making extra cash by doing something you love. And while not everyone has the time or energy for creating a whole new side business, extra lines of revenue can be found in lots of different places.
Spend a lot of time traveling on trains, and have a laptop? Why not spend your commute answering surveys in return for cash or coupons. Want to get into real estate? There are new possibilities for entering the market without a huge deposit using fractionalized property investment groups or syndicates.
What you choose to do on the side is up to you – so long as you’re thinking of ways to bring in new lines of revenue.
In the end, creating a healthy hip pocket doesn’t need to be painful, or intrude significantly on your life.
By creating a new approach to money in 2017, it may just be the year your financial health finally begins to take off!
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Katrina Haskew is Managing Director of Leading Advice.
DISCLOSURE: Katrina Haskew & KGH Financial Pty Ltd trading as Leading Advice ABN: 52 146 015 885 is a Corporate Authorised representative of Millennium3 Financial Services Pty Ltd ABN: 61 094 529 987 Australian Financial Services Licensee No. 244252. | 7/50 Borthwick Ave Murarrie QLD 4172
The views expressed in this publication are solely those of the author; they are not reflective or indicative of Millenium3 Financial Service’s position, and are not attributed to Millenium3. They cannot be reproduced in any form without the express written consent of the author.