Today, we are undoubtedly living in a fast-paced environment like never before. Middle-class families are especially under pressure nowadays, with companies downsizing or relocating jobs to areas where the production facilities are cheaper. While big companies are always searching for new ways to maximize profits, middle-class families struggle to find financial security, stability, and independence. Sure, you could start finding a solution by trying to ignore the question while playing games at https://automatenspielex.com/roulette-spielen/european-roulette. Or you could keep reading and find out more about achieving financial safety for yourself and your loved ones.
The Importance of Identifying Goals
Before one can even start looking at ways to improve his or her Family’s financial situation, we have to take a step back and look at the big picture. It is great to start saving and investing money, but without a clear goal, there is the risk of being distracted. We are, therefore, distinguishing between short-term and long-term goals. But there is more because a balance between essential needs and desired wants determines them.
Short-Term vs. Long-Term Goals
Balance is the most important factor in any financial management plan. When trying to identify our family goals, we have to find a way to balance short-term and long-term goals. Short-term goals are usually less pricey and require less financial resources than long-term goals. Family short-term goals can be, for example:
● A new dishwasher
● A family vacation trip
● Going out to the movie theater
● Having dinner at a restaurant
On the contrary, long-term goals could be:
● A new house
● A new car
● Moving to another state
● Founding a business
● A retirement plan
Essential Needs vs. Desired Wants
But another factor weighs in, and this one is usually the one that turns out to be the most challenging for families. To achieve financial stability, it is essential to keep spending under control. The most important question here is, what do we really need, and what is nice to have but not essential?
Budgeting is the Key to Financial Independence
One key factor in all of this is budgeting or budget management. What is meant here is nothing but keeping an eye on what comes in and what goes out. A study from 2019 shows that 7 out of 10 Americans are financially struggling. What is interesting is, though, that it has been proven that it is not all about income. American households are on the lower end income-wise but financially healthy.
Step: Monitoring the Income
The first approach to becoming financially healthy is to keep track of your income. You have to identify how much money you are making per month.
It is not so important, however, where that income is coming from, whether it is one salary or two or an additional rental income or dividends, etc.
Step: Monitoring Monthly Bills
The next step is to determine how much money you and your family spend each month. You and your loved ones must find the above-mentioned balance between essential needs and desired wants. The less you spend as a family on desired wants, and the more you focus on essential needs, the better your overall financial situation will be. Additionally, you will reach your short-term and long-term goals faster because you simply have more funds available.
Step: Controlling the Debt
Being in debt is not necessarily a bad thing. Most people do, in fact, own money to banks, college funds, or car dealerships and are paying those loans back over time. Most people also have credit cards that they are paying off. However, What is important is how much you owe and how many loans you are paying off simultaneously.
Staying away from “The Red” allows you to increase your Family’s wealth by strategically Investing.
We learned by now that you can only achieve financial independence and safety if your accounts are out of the red. That means there is money left over at the end of a month, money you can use to build the foundation of your financial security. Little by little, even if it is just a small two-figure sum per month, within a few years, you will start to see results, and here is where you can start:
Investing in the Stock Market
It is a great time to invest in stocks. Many huge corporations are reporting record profits and, as a result, are paying out unseen amounts of money to their shareholders. Such stocks also have the advantage that they are much less risky. However, those stocks have undoubtedly a limited potential to grow.
Investing in Real Estate
Then there is real estate, and that is yet another great way to invest and harvest one’s profits later. The housing market in most American cities knows only one way, and that is up. Whoever was lucky enough to buy a house in one of America’s most booming cities can cash in big time when selling it under current values.
Traditional Investment Opportunities like Life Insurance
But there are also more traditional and less risky investment options. The good old life insurance is one of them. Its advantage is that there is minimal risk of losing one’s hard-earned money.
The same goes for the savings accounts banks are still offering. Those investment opportunities are, for example, perfect when one of the long-term goals is a college fund for the kids.
Final Thoughts: Let’s not forget the Unexpected
Yes, there really is a but. We should always keep in mind that something unexpected can happen, and all the planning, identifying, and setting up investment strategies can go out the window right then and there. Our advice is, therefore, to always leave a little room in the budget plan. You know when the car breaks down, the washing machine gives out, or the kids need this or that.
