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Habits for financial wellbeing

Have you ever felt overwhelmed by your financial situation?

If so, you're not alone. Many people struggle to make their income cover their living expenses.

What is financial wellbeing?

Financial wellbeing is about feeling secure and in control of your day-to-day finances. It’s having enough money to pay your bills, with a plan to deal with unexpected costs. It’s about feeling confident making plans for your financial future that are in line with the goals you've set.

Financial wellbeing is one piece in the overall spectrum of wellness. If one of the pieces is jeopardised, you may feel it in other areas. In fact, poor financial wellbeing has knock-on effects on our mental health, physical health, and relationships. On the other hand, people who enjoy good financial wellbeing tend to be happier, more confident, and more productive at work.

Where to start?

1. Get talking

Many people find it difficult to talk candidly and openly about money with their family or friends. Money and finances are a common source of stress. Talking about money with a trusted friend or family member could be good for you, and may help you to manage your stress. It’s good for your mental health and your relationships. It will also help you to plan your financial future more effectively.

2. Make a plan

Getting your finances in shape, or at least having a plan in place, can be a weight off your shoulders.

How to stay financially healthy

Forming healthy financial habits takes time and effort. It can take weeks, if not months, for a new habit to form and for a behaviour to become automatic.

Here is a reminder of the main points:

  1. Live within your means: Keep track of your monthly income and expenses and find ways to free up funds to cover your extra costs if you need to. Set a budget for how you'll spend the money you earn.
  2. Spend wisely: Get into the habit of dividing up your expenses into needs, wants, and savings or debts. If it’s possible, aim to spend 50% of your income after tax on needs, 30% on wants, and 20% on savings and debts each month.
  3. Free up funds: If you're not saving as much as you'd like, or find it hard to cover your costs each month, look for ways to reduce your outgoing expenses. Also, think about how you might increase your household income.
  4. Build emergency savings: Aim to build up enough savings to cover at least 3 to 6 months of essential expenses, in case of emergency.
  5. Avoid excessive borrowing and manage your existing debt: Aim to borrow only what you can reasonably afford to pay back. Take steps to manage debt that you have already. For example, cut back to free up capital, approach your lender for support, or consolidate debts.
  6. Save for the future: Start saving for your retirement as early as you can. The younger you start, the bigger your retirement fund will be. Remember that compound interest - the interest earned on previously earned interest - quickly mounts up.
  7. Protect what matters: If you can, take out insurance for protection from risk that you wouldn't be able to cover yourself, like losing your household’s main income through illness or injury.
  8. Beware of scams and fraud: Online financial fraud is on the rise, so take steps to avoid becoming a victim of cybercrime. Remember the saying: if something sounds too good to be true, then it probably is.

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