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Affording a lavish lifestyle in ten years depends on your ability to save and live within your means smartly. Here's how you can do it.
The future. It's always what we look forward to. That is why we need to save for our future goals, ambitions, dreams, and so much more!
Many advise us to focus on the present and avoid worrying too much about the future.
While this advice seems evergreen in most circumstances, it is not ideal when managing our savings for the future.
Most of the time, as young adults, we indulge ourselves, spend money on things we've always wanted, go on trips we've always wanted to take, etc.
What we commonly overlook is putting money aside for a comfortable future. Have you ever considered if you'll be able to sustain the lifestyle you have right now in about ten years from now?
You need a strategy if you want to actualize your ideal future. Make saving a top priority every day to secure your financial future rather than delaying the process until you hit specific milestones like that next promotion.
Life is always presenting new challenges. These are unpredictable, but you can always be ready for them. Here's how you can start your journey of saving funds for a comfortable lifestyle in the future:
Do you have a budget?
Setting up a budget for your expenses and giving money the highest priority possible is the first step in planning your future.
Make a list of all the purchases you've made over the month, marking those that seem extravagant or remove significantly from your budget.
Maintaining a decent budget is the greatest method to avoid becoming bankrupt. Set your rent, petrol, food, and travel as top priorities among your monthly purchases and expenses.
Because they are your essential requirements and will always cost money each month, be sure you're not sacrificing on them.
Include a savings category in your budget plan, and try to save money up to a level that feels comfortable to you at first.
Eventually, aim to increase your savings by up to 15–20% of your income.
Know the difference between your wants and your needs
Financial needs are costs you must spend to live in a comfortable setting. These costs include utility bills such as rent or EMIs, transportation, grocery, phone, or wifi bills, among others, and will probably consume a significant portion of your income.
On the other hand, wants are expenses that give you the means to enjoy a pleasurable or lavish life. For instance, buying the latest Apple smartphone every year or taking a vacation abroad are good wishlists that most of us fancy fulfilling in life.
But the truth is that these wants, in most cases, are expenses that only help satiate your pleasure or fun in life. Although you could survive without them, having them makes life more enjoyable.
How do you begin including wants and needs in your budget plan? Determine your life's needs and wants first. Our wants or desires aren't always necessary because, most of the time, neither your survival nor your well-being depend on them.
It is simple to get carried away and make your wants your needs in the environment that social media and other platforms have created today. Avoiding endless advertisements on various platforms may seem difficult, so making a budget and sticking to it can help keep your finances in check.
Make savings a habit; you won't regret it
Organize your savings so that the money is safeguarded. It's likely that there won't be much left to save if you wait until the end of the month to start.
Make it automatic by having money deducted directly from your salary, or set up a portion of each deposit to go into a savings account.
If you wanna save for more than one goal, it's wise to use different accounts than pool all your money. Often, seeing a good chunk of money saved can be tempting and sway you into an array of impulsive purchases.
However, when you keep different tabs on savings, you can see exactly how much you've saved to achieve your goal and how far you need to continue savings before you can tick that off your list.
Try to incorporate saving into your daily life. Once it becomes second nature, you won't have to make an effort to save money. Your financial future will come to mind instantly.
Regardless of the lifestyle, you're prone to in the present, saving for the future should remain a top priority in both your thinking and your finances.
Invest in insurance
Life insurances are very crucial when it comes to planning your future. Purchasing life insurance policies when you are young significantly lowers the premium amount you will incur.
That's because the cost of your insurance plan will increase as you get older. Even if you are single at the moment and have no immediate dependents, make a plan for the insurance coverage you need.
Another smart reason you should invest in insurance is that it can lead to tax savings, thereby reducing the amount you will lose by paying taxes.
There are different types of life insurance, so it's best to speak to an expert and identify the insurance plan that works best for you.
Categorize short-term and long-term goals
A wise strategy to organize your finances is to divide your goals into short-term and long-term categories, such as going on vacation or purchasing your dream car.
Short-term goals require the money within the next one to two years. Anything beyond that would be a long-term aim.
Depending on how much you intend to spend and how much time you have, you will need to save a different amount for each objective.
For some of the financial objectives, there's a chance you might feel that it's neither a short-term goal nor a long-term one.
This is when you can place your goals in the third category, which could be called the mid-term goals. An example would be clearing your debts or saving for a down payment.
Once you've established the goals, it's essential that you strike a balance on how you can be consistent towards them. Plan your goals around regular spending, putting necessities like food and shelter first.
Contribute to your emergency and retirement funds first, then focus on clearing your debt. After that, you can choose how to divide the remaining funds between your wants and other savings.
Make your money work for you
Make your money work for you. Let's be honest; while this phrase sounds motivating enough, it can sometimes get overwhelming and intimidating while figuring out how to work towards it.
To ensure this mantra works, you must make the right investments that compound your money and give you good returns.
Keeping your money in a low-interest savings account will ensure the security of your money, but it doesn't increase the amount enough for it to make a difference.
Entering an investment that yields high interest is how you make your money work for you. Even while you must pay taxes on the interest, it will probably still bring in more money than a standard savings account.
Additionally, you are less likely to spend that money because there is a cap on the number of transactions you can make.
As mentioned before, pay off your debts, so you can identify and invest in a way that works best for you. It can be investing in stocks or funds that yield high interests. Be patient for your money to grow but never compromise on making the right investments.
It's never too late to Start Saving
Financial planning is very intimidating as it has many aspects to consider and can be stressful.
Many people find it daunting and follow traditional methods of saving money, like securing it in a standard savings account or keeping it safe in a fixed deposit.
Increasing your savings rate could help you make up for lost time if you put off saving and are now trying to catch up.
Even though someone who has been saving since they began working may have a head start, increasing your savings now can help fill the difference.
Like everything else, you can build a comfortable and secure future with a bit of education and financial forethought.
Make saving money a habit so that it comes naturally to you. Start your Saving Journey with Jar App by Investing in Digital Gold Now.
