12 Essential Money Tips for Every Phase of Your Financial Life (2024)

Saving Money / Savings Advice

5 min Read

By Gabrielle Olya

12 Essential Money Tips for Every Phase of Your Financial Life (1)

Everyone makes money missteps at some point in their lives, whether it’s splurging on unnecessary items or neglecting to contribute to retirement funds as soon as possible. Even financial pros are not immune to making mistakes.

To help you avoid unnecessary pitfalls,check out these tips and tricks that can help you live your best money life — no matter your age.

Start With Saving

Although it’s tempting to spend rather than save when you get a paycheck, it’s important to prioritize putting money away into your checking or savings account.On top of that, you should also use the right checking or savings accounts to grow your money.

Avoid Lifestyle Inflation

It’s important to increase your savings rate whenever you start earning more in order to keep growing your net worth.

“Save one-third of every pay raise you get so you don’t succumb to lifestyle inflation,” said Ted Jenkin, a certified financial planner. By starting this practice early in your career, you’ll develop good habits like saving, investing and paying down debts instead of spending it on more stuff you won’t care about in a few years’ time.

Make Your Money Work for You

Don’t Waste Your Money on Things You Don’t Need

Whether you’ve justreceived your first paycheck or your first raise, it can be tempting to spend your money on things you want rather than on things you need — but this can be a huge mistake.

“Don’t spend so much money on clothing,” said MichelleSchroeder-Gardner, founder of the personal finance blog “Making Sense of Cents.” “I’ve worked full-time since I was around the age of 14, yet I didn’t really start saving money until nearly a decade later.”

Don’t Buy Things To Impress Other People

Spending on immediate wants can hurt your future needs, saidJohn Rampton, founder and CEO of Calendar.

“Don’t waste your time on expensive cars or gadgets,” he said. “It’s better to save money for the long-term and for things that can keep generating money, rather than taking (your) money.”

Start Investing In Your Retirement ASAP

AGOBankingRates’retirement savings survey found that 64% of Americans have less than $10,000 saved for retirement. It’s easy to put off saving for retirement when you’re in your 20s, but that’s the best time to start. The sooner you save, the sooner you can take advantage of compound interest. No matter your age, it’s important to prioritize investing in your retirement accounts.

Don’t Fear the Stock Market

Doing something that scares you can be a good thing for your finances. Novice investors are often scared of the stock market, but just by getting started, even on a small scale, you’re furthering your financial life. Learn some of the safer ways to invest for the long term if you’re worried about making mistakes. And the sooner you get started, the better off you’ll likely be.

Make Your Money Work for You

Now, Invest Even More

“Invest in the market, and lock in gains by purchasing income,” said Tom Hegna, financial author, speaker and economist. “Once you have your basic expenses covered with income, buy more.”

By making wise investments now, you can create income for yourself in retirement to supplement Social Security, allowing you to live a more comfortable life in retirement.

Invest In Yourself

In addition to making financial investments, it’s important to invest in yourself by learning everything you can about personal finance so you can create a financial plan that works for you.

It’s easy to write off personal finance as confusing, but you’re only hurting yourself. The sooner you take the time to learn some money basics, the sooner you can use this knowledge to plan out short- and long-term goals.

Listen To Yourself and Take Action

Figure out your goals, including your financial goals. By doing so, you’ll know exactly what you need to do in order to achieve them. It will also motivate you to stick to your goals and work even harder.

Don’t Waste Time Worrying

And don’t let fear get in the way of going after what you want, said JenSincero, New York Times bestselling author and success coach.

“Worrying is praying for what you don’t want, so stop worrying about money and focus on what you do want,” she said.

Remember That Money Isn’t Everything

Although you need money to cover expenses and other life necessities, it isn’t the be-all and end-all. However, that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t ask for what you deserve.

“Ask for more money and learn to negotiate as soon as possible,” said money expert Brittney Castro. “(But) don’t chase money, because it’s not the holy grail. Enjoy it. Make lots of it. But always remember it’s a resource, not an indication of who or what you are in the world.”

Make Your Money Work for You

Don’t Let Money Define You

Dominique Broadway, amillennial personal finance expert and founder of Finances Demystified, agreed that money doesn’t define you or your success.

“Do not link money with success,” she said. “Money can come and go. Focus on saving and growing your money, and don’t focus on ‘shiny things’ to keep up with other people.”

More From GOBankingRates

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FAQs

What is the 50 30 20 rule in your financial plan? ›

Those will become part of your budget. The 50-30-20 rule recommends putting 50% of your money toward needs, 30% toward wants, and 20% toward savings. The savings category also includes money you will need to realize your future goals.

What is the 10 rule of money? ›

Save for periodic expenses, such as car and home maintenance. Save 5%-10% of your net income. Accumulate at least 3 to 6 months' salary in an emergency fund. Make saving a habit, and never break it; always have a planned, written goal that you're saving toward.

What is the 20 20 rule for money? ›

The 20/20/60 Rule Explained

20% for savings. 20% for consumer debt. 60% for living expenses.

What is the 70 money rule? ›

The 70% rule for retirement savings says that you can estimate your future retirement spending by multiplying your post-tax income by 70%. For example, if your income is currently $72,000 per year after taxes, your future annual retirement spending would be around $50,400, or $4,200 per month.

How to budget $4000 a month? ›

making $4,000 a month using the 75 10 15 method. 75% goes towards your needs, so use $3,000 towards housing bills, transport, and groceries. 10% goes towards want. So $400 to spend on dining out, entertainment, and hobbies.

How to budget $5000 a month? ›

Consider an individual who takes home $5,000 a month. Applying the 50/30/20 rule would give them a monthly budget of: 50% for mandatory expenses = $2,500. 20% to savings and debt repayment = $1,000.

What are the four walls? ›

Personal finance expert Dave Ramsey says if you're going through a tough financial period, you should budget for the “Four Walls” first above anything else. In a series of tweets, Ramsey suggested budgeting for food, utilities, shelter and transportation — in that specific order.

How much savings should I have at 50? ›

By the time you reach your 40s, you'll want to have around three times your annual salary saved for retirement. By age 50, you'll want to have around six times your salary saved. If you're behind on saving in your 40s and 50s, aim to pay down your debt to free up funds each month.

What is the 60 budget rule? ›

Put 60% of your income towards your needs (including debts), 20% towards your wants, and 20% towards your savings.

What is the rule #1 of money? ›

1 – Never lose money. Let's kick it off with some timeless advice from legendary investor Warren Buffett, who said “Rule No. 1 is never lose money.

What is the 600 dollar rule? ›

The new ”$600 rule”

Under the new rules set forth by the IRS, if you got paid more than $600 for the transaction of goods and services through third-party payment platforms, you will receive a 1099-K for reporting the income.

What is the 100 dollar rule? ›

The $100/24 Hour rule is so good if you're tempted to buy something: if it's more than $100, wait 24 hours before buying it. Then, if you still need it or really want it, think about how you can afford to get it. Do you have the cash on hand?

What is the 50 30 20 rule for 401k? ›

Key Takeaways

The 50/30/20 budget rule states that you should spend up to 50% of your after-tax income on needs and obligations that you must have or must do. The remaining half should be split between savings and debt repayment (20%) and everything else that you might want (30%).

What is one negative thing about the 50 30 20 rule of budgeting? ›

Some Experts Say the 50/30/20 Is Not a Good Rule at All. “This budget is restrictive and does not take into consideration your values, lifestyle and money goals. For example, 50% for needs is not enough for those in high-cost-of-living areas.

How would your income be divided using the 50 30 20 rule? ›

One of the most common types of percentage-based budgets is the 50/30/20 rule. The idea is to divide your income into three categories, spending 50% on needs, 30% on wants, and 20% on savings.

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